Folklore
by BlushingLotus
Summary: After hearing an alluring piece of Folklore, Sakura becomes devoted to proving herself equal to the man she desires most. Sasu/Saku
1. Chapter 1

_Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. *sad face*_

_As a general warning, parts of this fanfic will feature descriptions of sexuality and desire. If such content is not appropriate for you or your tastes, I suggest you move onward. _

_Rated M for sexual content and language. _

_Enjoy! _

**X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X** **X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X**

"Sometimes the ancients lend us their wisdom. All problems are in endless repetition…an endless cycle. Their folklore shares the solution to the cycle."

Sakura looked up, lifting a brow at the old woman—she was a client on an escort mission.

The crone had tremendous political influence, due to her famously wise advice, which meant she was in danger whenever she travelled. By luck, Sakura's team had been charged with the escort mission. During the mission, the woman accidentally stepped on a glass bottle in the road, preventing the team from moving further until she was healed. Naruto, grumbling the entire way, carried the old woman to a nearby village so that Sakura could attend to the injury in a more sterile environment.

Sakura eyed the woman's foot, listening to the vague sounds of playfulness in the inn's hallway. She didn't know what, but something had stirred Naruto up.

The old woman, Nandi was her name, eyed the young nurse at her feet. A smirk played on her lips as she regarded Sakura.

"You are a powerful fighter," the woman observed. "You can bend mountains with your fists...a remarkable feat of control."

She spoke slowly, taking her time. Her demeanor was relaxed despite the bleeding, burning hurt in her foot.

"You could be better, however."

"Would you like something for the pain?" Sakura asked, choosing not to comment on the woman's observations. The old woman shook her head, not wishing to be drugged.

Sakura had been taunted one too many times by Sasuke during many training sessions over her much needed improvement. While she did not fall behind developmentally to ninja on any other team, Sakura did not keep pace well with Sasuke and Naruto. Naruto never said that he agreed with Sasuke, but Sakura believed the dark nin's words. He and Naruto were legendary in their development and power. She remained only above average. Asking that she keep up with the two seemed like an impossible task. However, she remained determined.

Sakura examined the foot with precision. She'd have to remove each piece of glass individually before she could heal the woman. It was best to keep her talking. The more the old woman spoke, the more comfort that Sakura felt from knowing the woman could handle the pain.

"Go on," Sakura urged, not really believing Nandi's advice would be too helpful. She was a sage of politics—not a sage of ninjutsu.

"Improve your flexibility and you will be an equal to your teammates. Flexibility reflects a mental discipline," the woman answered her. Sakura's brows furrowed together. Flexibility was important to a ninja's life, but not essential like speed or strength.

"Also, if you improve your flexibility, you shall vastly improve the quality of your sex life."

At this, Sakura began to blush and force down her choking reflex.

"Do not be embarrassed, young one. Sex is a beautiful union—the physical manifestation of love. Sex is not dirty between two who share love. The only shame is a union between those who do not love. They sully the ritual."

Sakura's eyes snapped up to Nandi, her bangs falling into her eyes. Her gloved fingers bloody from the woman's foot, she was unable to tuck the locks back behind her ear.

"I need assistance!" she called over her shoulder, trying to forget the old woman's sex talk. She greatly hoped Nandi wouldn't continue talking about the _ritual of sex_ when her assistance came. Sakura expected Naruto to burst through the door, but to her surprise, Sasuke entered swiftly.

The injured woman scrutinized Sasuke as he entered. His mussed hair indicated that he and Naruto had been getting into some kind of mischief; heaven knows what. Without speaking, he looked pointedly to Sakura for his orders.

"Can you grab the pins from the front pocket of my bag and tuck back my hair?" Sakura asked. Her tone was meant to be casual, but discomfort eased out. She was rigid, nervous for his brief touch. As she waited, her heart began to pump with fervor. He obeyed swiftly, approaching her.

When his fingers brushed her scalp, a shiver of delight passed through her, but she managed to retain some composure. He tucked the rebellious pink locks back and held them in place with a pin. His touch was something unexpected, surprisingly gentle. He stood still, observing his work. Then, he left without saying so much as a word.

The old woman hummed to herself, shaking her head at the door. Obviously, she did not approve of the mannerisms of Uchiha Sasuke. Then, her eyes flashed to Sakura. Then, back to the door. Obviously, she analyzed the transaction between the two. Her lips twitched as a thought almost burst through. Her eyes closed as her head fell backwards to rest.

"How about a tale while you work, nurse?"

"Anything you please," Sakura answered politely with the expectation to only half-listen to the tale. Nandi nodded in approval.

Sakura's face fell downward in concentration as she pulled pieces of glass from the old woman's foot. As she cleaned and patched up the wound, the crone chattered.

**X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X**

They'd completed their mission and returned to the village, but the tale remained fresh in Sakura's ears. When she lay down at night, the story's whisper would become a spoken voice.

Even after an entire week had passed, Sakura couldn't let go of the tale. She had returned home. Spent time training. Worked at the hospital. Spent time with her parents. Spent time with Ino. Cleaned her apartment. But nothing could rid her of the old woman's words. As she lay awake at night, she felt them wash over her. Her body would submerge and bathe in the story, over and over. She feared, if her newfound obsession lasted long enough, she'd sink past reality.

_**There was once an incredibly powerful god. He had loved much, but tragedy had stolen that which he loved. The god fell into a dance of destruction that could only be stopped by an equally powerful god. Lonely, the god of destruction withdrew from the cosmos. The world fell into imbalance without his power. Without his works of destruction and transformation, the world grew stagnant. The other gods and goddesses grew fearful from his detachment. **_

When Nandi wove her tale of a withdrawn god of destruction, Sakura thought to herself how the god bore a striking resemblance to Sasuke. She almost believed for a moment that the old woman was making a comment about Sasuke through the story, but Sakura reasoned it was unlikely. Yes, Sasuke was both destructive and withdrawn, but the woman didn't know such details about him, like the loss of his family. Keeping this in mind, Sakura assumed this was only a coincidence in the tale.

She rolled over onto her stomach. Pressing a cheek into the pillow, she inhaled sharply. Slowly, she released the breath.

There were other details that struck close to home.

_**A mountain goddess fell in love with the detached god. As a child, her inner soul cried out for union with him. However, the god refused to acknowledge her. **_

The words echoed through her mind, long after the mission was finished. They teased her—thoroughly and entirely creeping Sakura out. She dwelled on the words constantly.

Was the old woman trying to tell her something?

Sakura rolled onto her back.

Even more disturbing were the emotions the tale provoked in her. The old woman spurred thoughts and feelings that had been thoroughly repressed. Repressed out of necessity. Repressed so she could function.

_**When she grew into adulthood, she remained obsessively devoted to her beloved, distant god.**_

Rolling onto her side, Sakura tucked her knees into her chest.

Nandi had given her a pointed look after she spoke that sentence. Her old, but still sharp eyes were ingrained in Sakura's mind.

"I don't want to think about this anymore," she murmured aloud to no one.

She felt as if a single glance from those wise eyes had allowed the old woman to view Sakura's true nature. She knew of Sakura's love…confusion…pain…things that couldn't be expressed easily with words.

_**Even with the strength of a mountain, we are all left vulnerable to the one we love. The goddess was so with her beloved. **_

Her fingers twitched against her pillow.

She knew the truth as to why the story burdened her so greatly. Really, anyone could figure it out…but she wasn't ready to handle the emotions the story provoked. She wasn't ready to move and take action. Certainly, she couldn't even figure out how to maintain balance within herself.

Because even admitting her sustained love…even to just herself…would be fruitless. However, trying to forget about it would never work.

Another night without sleep. Another night spent tossing and rolling in bed.

**X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X**

When the next evening came, she experienced a similar phenomenon.

Only this time, she wasn't plagued by just a stupid bedtime story. This time she was plagued with the weight of guilt.

When she arrived at work that morning, Tsunade took one look at her, scoffed, and sent her home.

"Your coordination and balance is off," Tsunade observed bluntly. "It's _been_ off. Go home and sleep. You are dismissed for the week."

Her mentor hadn't meant to punish her. Rather, she was rewarding her with some free time. However, it still stung to be sent away from work, especially when her work offered a sweet respite from the endless repetition of the tale.

When Sakura returned home, she fell onto her couch and napped the entire day. While the extended sleep had been refreshing, it was annoying that nightfall had come and she was wide awake. Even more burdensome was the constant reminder that in some-odd hours she was supposed to train with her team.

Sakura groaned into her pillow.

"Stop bugging me, old woman," Sakura begged. "I just want things to run smoothly."

Silence was her only reply. Of course, no one was there to reply to her.

Sakura let out a long groan of frustration. Rising, she padded roughly across the floor to her dresser. Her pajamas were flung from her skin and replaced with training clothes.

She stomped her way to her closet, removing several kunai. She wouldn't lay still and wait another moment. She wouldn't be weak and wonder over ridiculous stories and implied meanings. She was through with it all.

Tonight, she'd train alone. Somewhere no one could find her and burden her. Then, she'd pound a new valley into the earth to vent her frustration.

**X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X**

_**The god could not be disturbed from his meditation. He took on the lifestyle of a hermit and withdrew his true self from the world. All that the world could see was his dormant form that lay waiting. **_

His feet fell onto the earth percussively. Left. Right. Move forward. Move faster.

When Sasuke trained with Naruto, he trained his battle skills and strength. When he trained alone, he focused on his speed and agility.

He never planned to train alone in the night, but when evening came, so did the torment. His house would grow unbearable. It eerily reflected the past, bringing guilt, anger, and torture. He would have no rest, unless his body was thoroughly and completely exhausted. Some nights after his long runs, he would collapse in the entryway of his home—he couldn't even make it to his bedroom.

Surely, if the villagers saw him wandering around the streets at night, they'd grow suspicious. So, he stuck to the thick forests surrounding Konoha—the kind that were used for extremely difficult training. He never saw a soul, nor did he want to.

So, when he heard the soft _thunk_ of a kunai hitting a tree, he stopped immediately. His head tilted, as he listened intently for the sound.

He heard a second _thunk_.

He eased slowly in the direction of the sound. He knew it came from a clearing beside the river. He moved silently, not wishing to alert whoever it was to his presence. He knew he wouldn't want the attention of the person, but he did want to know who else could possibly be training so late into the night.

In fact, it barely even counted as night anymore. It was three in the morning. In a few hours, the sun would rise.

He came slowly upon the clearing. His eyes landed on a sight he did not expect to find.

Sakura sat, her legs crossed, beneath a blossoming tree. As the blossoms fell to earth, she'd throw a kunai at them. The kunai would pierce the flower and pin it to the trunk of a nearby tree. Clearly, this was an exercise in aim.

Her frame was covered in a light sheen of sweat, which indicated that this was a cool-down exercise. Great holes were scattered around her, telling him that she had been pounding her fists into the earth for some time. Most likely, she had been training far longer than he.

Unclear why she was out here alone, Sasuke shifted his weight, subtly crushing leaves beneath his feet. Sakura's face snapped upward. She could sense the hidden presence behind her.

Her head tilted, alert.

"Who's there?" she called out, looking suspiciously over her shoulder. The trees obscured the shadow of a man, frightening her. Most likely she knew him, but the dark of the night made her wary.

Instead of calling back to her, Sasuke stepped forward. Moonlight reached his form, and she immediately relaxed. A weak, insecure smile teased upon her face.

_**Sometimes the goddess would call out to the god, and briefly rouse him. However, he would always return to his dormant form after a moment. **_

"Sasuke," she nodded, greeting him. He took no time for formalities.

"Why are you here?" he interrogated, moving toward her. Her pleasant mask faltered. Looking away from him, she watched another petal fall to the ground. She reached for the kunai at her side, but found the final one missing.

Sasuke rolled it idly in his hand, waiting for his answer.

What was she supposed to say? Certainly not the truth.

"_I can't sleep, Sasuke, because I'm obsessed with this stupid story an old woman told me...which tells me I'm losing touch with reality." _

She shrugged.

"Can't sleep," she answered softly. Half-truths always work nicely.

A cluster of blossoms fell from the tree. Her eyes widened when Sasuke threw the final kunai, smirking as he impaled all of the delicate buds to the side of a tree.

"We'll spar then," he demanded, pulling her up by the arm.

Despite his return being quite a long time ago, they had never been alone for even a moment. Her stomach churned at this realization.

She didn't have long to think about it as he charged at her. Petals falling from the blossoming tree and the darkness obscured their view of one another. She raced, trying to outdo the speed of his strikes. This, however, was a futile effort. He was undeniably fast. A painful strike hit her side, but a well-timed punch in response forced him to recoil from her.

How bizarre the ninja lifestyle was. It was, perhaps, the only culture in the world where battle was acceptable social behavior amongst teammates. Despite the fast pace of their fight, she realized this irony—if Sasuke hadn't offered to spar with her, it would have been rude.

Not that Sasuke was one who cared much for manners or protocol.

In a matter of minutes, a strange rhythm developed between them. His strikes were fast, painful. Sharply and percussively, he'd harm her. Her responses to him were slow but well established—enough for him to lose balance. Sometimes the pain was enough for him to lose his breath.

This went on well into the night. Her breath rasped in her chest, but she refused to stop. Although it was a friendly spar, she was far from feeling comfortable with her opponent. So, she continued to fight him well past the point she should have—past the point of pain or productive development.

Like one would fight an enemy.

Their fight was cut short, preventing any permanent damage to either, when Sasuke reached for both of her small wrists, pinning them against her back with a single, large hand. What a cruel advantage of male anatomy over female. He held her there a moment, observing the sweat on her skin.

When he held her painfully for a moment too long, a soft sound of distress was emitted from her throat. He eyed her.

"Let go," she gasped. Instantly, he released her.

**X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X**

"Forehead, would you quit moping in the corner and pay attention to me?"

Sakura blinked twice, trying to force herself into alertness. Constantly, her mind thought back to last night. Her desperate need for sleep. Her sparring session with Sasuke born of chance. All the while, the bizarre story from Nandi kept repeating inside of her head.

Ino's words shook Sakura from her new obsession and brought her swiftly back to reality.

They were in Ino's apartment, mostly because Ino hated snacking on Sakura's health food when they went to her place. She'd found Sakura outside of the ramen stand after a traditional team dinner. She emphatically took hold of Sakura's arm, pulling her away from her team. She babbled into Sakura's ear that she had the juiciest story and that she needed to hear it _now. _Effectively feeling like she was being kidnapped, Sakura looked for help from her three male teammates. The only one who seemed to care was Naruto, but he wasn't ready to fight Ino for her. Due to Ino being a far more powerful persuasive force than Naruto, Sakura had been dragged back to the apartment.

Sensing Sakura was paying attention to her again, Ino continued her story.

"So, I told him, 'We should go back to my place and—'"

"Ino!" Sakura gasped, covering her ears. "I don't need to hear all of this."

Ino rolled her eyes.

"Sometimes, I wish my best friend wasn't such a baby," Ino muttered with a small smirk. "Since I can't tell _my_ story…why don't you tell me what you were thinking about so intensely?"

Sakura's face flushed. She looked away from Ino.

"Is this cuz I called you fatass at the ramen stand? Because you don't have a fat ass. It just came to mind since you were eating. You've got a nice butt. Cute and all. So don't be so annoyingly self-conscious."

"Uh…thanks?" Sakura questioned, unsure of how to respond to Ino. "But it's not really that…"

Ino playfully put a finger to Sakura's mouth.

"Wait, wait. Lemme guess!" Ino winked, and then looked upward, running through possibilities in her mind.

"This old lady—" Sakura began.

"Sakura! I told you to let me guess!"

"You wouldn't have gotten it right!" Sakura argued. "There's no way you would just grab this from nowhere."

Ino pouted, but let Sakura move forward with her story.

"This old lady we escorted told me this folktale. Now, I can't get it out of my head. It's on endless repeat."

"Like when you get a song stuck in your head?"

"Kind of…" Sakura scratched the back of her head.

"Eh, you'll get over that soon enough," Ino reasoned with a shrug. "And don't scratch your head like that. Makes you look like Naruto. I swear, your team influences you way too much."

Sakura gave her a weak smile and rolled her eyes. Ino's brutal honesty hurt sometimes.

"So, nothing else is bugging you? Like nothing's going on? You look mega-tired, so I thought there'd be more."

Sakura shook her head. She considered for a moment telling Ino about her strange encounter with Sasuke last night, but decided against it. She preferred to keep a few secrets to herself, especially if it involved tender issues such as Uchiha Sasuke. Heaven only knew what would come out of Ino's mouth when she told her.

"_Improve your flexibility and you will be an equal to your teammates," _the crone's voice reminded Sakura. Desperate to make the story and advice stop their endless cycle, Sakura sought Ino's help.

"Can you teach me yoga?" Sakura asked, feeling a little shy. In return, Ino gave her a wicked grin.

"Sure! Plan on using it for sex?"

Sakura choked and blushed instantaneously. Maybe seeking Ino's help wasn't such a wise idea…

**X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X**

The next night was a replica of the first.

She knew had training in the morning.

She _should_ go to sleep.

But she couldn't sleep.

Only this time, she didn't burst off in anger. She slowly pulled herself from her bed. She took her time redressing. It seemed almost natural to crawl out of bed at midnight.

After pulling on her shoes, she ran outside. She took no planned route, but, of course, found herself in the forest from the night before. Curiously and with familiarity, she rushed to the cherry blossom tree she had practiced her aim on the night before. She paused, standing beneath the tree.

A dull ache in her left calf brought her back to reality, reminding her that she had run too far too fast. She settled herself onto the ground, rubbing the muscle gingerly. Glowing green fingers soothed the ache even more so. A sigh of relief escaped her lips.

A throat cleared behind her, jarring her from her peaceful moment alone. She jumped slightly in surprise, frightened to learn she hadn't been alone this entire time.

She cast a glance reflexively over her shoulder. Sasuke leaned against a tree, watching her. His eyes flicked to her leg, then back to her face.

"I shouldn't be able to sneak up on you so easily," he scolded her.

Sakura frowned slightly and rolled her eyes.

"I wasn't trying to find you," she muttered to herself. "I wasn't on guard."

"You _always_ need to be on guard," he continued to scold. She gave a sigh of exasperation. Despite all of the various mentors and teachers she had encountered in her life, Sasuke remained the person who was most likely to instruct her on every single one of her errors. His unrelenting demand for perfection gave her a steady sensation of hopelessness.

He took another step toward her.

"You're too predictable," he mocked.

"Because you knew I'd be here?" she asked, rubbing her calf again for good measure.

"Aa," he answered softly, eyeing her again. His eyes landed on her calf, then looked back to her expectantly.

"It's fine," she responded to an unasked question. "I ran too fast and too far. I didn't warm up first."

He didn't respond. He watched her, waiting for something. She continued to gingerly rub her sore spot, nervous under his blatant scrutiny.

"I couldn't sleep again tonight," she began to babble softly. This was mostly for herself. She knew he didn't care and had probably assumed why she'd arrived. "It's getting annoying. We've got training in the morning. I need to be well rested, but I can't sleep. If I don't get any sleep, I won't be able to work at the hospital."

She gave her leg a final squeeze, confirming to herself that it was fine to stand on again.

She looked up at him, only to find him gone. Her lower lip pouted forward slightly. How dare he leave without so much as saying a word!

A heavy hand landed on her shoulder. She squeaked in surprise, jumping and twisting out of his grasp.

"I shouldn't be able to sneak up on you," he scolded again. "Especially when you just saw me."

She panted, trying to catch her breath from the shock. Her mouth fell ajar slightly.

"And your obligation lies with your team. Not the hospital," he continued to scold, a hint of disdain trickling into his voice. "You're a ninja first."

Why was it that he never felt the need to speak unless he was insulting or instructing?

"Look, the only reason you can sneak up on me is because I'm not paying attention when you do. I'm not going to always have my guard up, especially if it's just you."

"You always need your guard up. Especially if it's me."

She wondered vaguely why he'd say such a thing. He took hold of her arm, pulling her roughly to stand.

"We'll spar. Then go home," he ordered.

Again, they fought. He would win, regardless of her tactics against him. The most she could do was maintain her dignity and at least challenge him. Sadly, sparring with her wasn't even stimulating enough for him to activate his Sharingan. This enraged her once she'd noticed, making her punches more severe on his skin. When she was angered, she forgot he was a teammate…even more so that he was someone she loved. The ritualistic fighting consumed her. She started to fight him to hurt him. No longer did she want to merely train.

He was her foe.

He managed to exploit her the same way he always did. Somehow, no matter how hard she tried to keep her eye on him, he would vanish behind her. He viciously grabbed her shoulders, forcing her backwards against him.

The thud against his chest awoke her from her primitive urge to fight him. Suddenly, it was as if she became sober, realizing where she was and who she was with. She made to remove herself from him, but his arms wrapped around her stomach.

He held her tight against his chest, forcing her to submit—to allow him to win their spar. She struggled in his grasp. His grip tightened when she struggled, but never to the point of pain, just enough to hold her back against his chest.

Her breathing was strained, strangled by his grasp. Heat spread throughout her constricted frame as soon as she realized just how close he was. Just how tightly he held her.

"I've got you." A husky taunt in her ear.

His rumbling, low voice vibrated within her, tickling her. Teasing her. She shivered.

His warmth and scent began to intoxicate her, making her struggle all the more fruitless. She went limp in his arms, no longer fighting him.

He had her.

**X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X** **X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X**

_Part 1 of 4. The next part will be posted in a few days. _

_The god and goddess folktale featured in this story is inspired by the love story of Shiva and Parvati from Hindu mythology. _

_Special Thank You for:_

_For those of you who followed The __**Last Will and Testament of Uzumaki Naruto, **__user _newbie-otaku _created a fanart for it! ^_^ I love it dearly, and if you are interested in checking it out, you can find the link on my author's page. _

_And a big heartwarming, huggable, sweet thank you goes out __**Sakura's Indecision**__ for beta-ing Folklore with me. She has been an absolute dream the entire way through, and helped not only with grammar, but beautiful additional content touches. Without her help, I am more than certain I wouldn't have been able to complete this story. _

_She's posted a few fabulous Sasu/Saku stories that I highly recommend, so go check her out immediately! _

_As always, I absolutely adore reviews. ^_^ I appreciate feedback. _


	2. Chapter 2

_Many beloved thanks to all of the reviews for the first part. ^_^ Simply lovely and heartwarming. _

_Okay, I said this at the beginning of the last chapter, but I'll say it again. (Since I'm nervous about this chapter!) This fanfic has themes of adult desire. If desire/sexual descriptions, etc, make you uncomfortable, I suggest not reading further. _

_Enjoy! _

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Day passed. Night fell upon her.

Once again, she was allowed to work. The tale continued to repeat itself to her, but she grew more accustomed to functioning with it. She probably would have been able to sleep at night, but she denied herself rest until after she trained with Sasuke. She could not bear to miss the opportunity for time alone with him, no matter how little he communicated with her during their moments together.

She sat waiting, a strange, warm sensation washing over her. This sensation was born of the simple realization that she had spent not one, but multiple evenings alone with Sasuke—and another one was coming.

Despite her better judgment, a small smile tugged on her lips.

There was a thrill to being with him. She knew the thrill was wrong, that the giddy sensation in her stomach should be avoided. She knew that enjoying her time with Sasuke was aberrant, but it was effortless, natural—and also incredibly demeaning. He was the ultimate unrealizable fantasy. Those who suspected her continued childhood affection would often give her awful looks of pity.

The looks said, _"You poor girl. Don't you have enough self-esteem to want someone else?"_

Sakura bent her head forward.

She hated even thinking about how she felt. She was an awful stew of emotion with regard to the Uchiha. Her emotions ranged from wanting to jump on his back in a hug to pummeling his face in. Her emotional bond was unbreakable, regardless of their past. Having grown into adulthood, her emotions intensified into a powerful sexual attraction.

All things considered, pondering her true feelings for Sasuke was enough to make her want to rip out her hair—her feelings for him brought too many sensations all at once.

Making matters worse was her inability to even express to him that he frustrated her. Naruto did it so naturally, calling out immediately whenever Sasuke was an ass. He didn't pretend he'd forgotten Sasuke's hideous deeds of the past. In fact, he would even risk making him irritable by reminding him. Sakura could barely acknowledge that Sasuke was ever gone from the village out loud. It was hardly any wonder that Naruto and Sasuke's relationship had grown progressively through struggles, while hers with Sasuke remained stagnant.

Hell, it wasn't even stagnant. During the daytime, she couldn't even acknowledge her openly affectionate actions toward him in the past. Exposed to the blinding light of the sun, their relationship had become so repressed that it reverted into nothing. So they could function. Pretending neither of them knew things…

Like how she had offered to betray her village for him.

_Twice. _

That he had rejected her offer.

_Twice._

That he had tried to kill her.

_Twice._

And that Sakura loved him.

_Always._

But in the dark of evening, they were beginning to share…and she was beginning to hope.

Sakura winced, pulling her hands to cover her face. What a grotesque problem. Her previously pleasant excitement was gone, leaving her feeling miserably lonely.

The sounds of approaching footsteps alerted her. She looked through her fingers, seeing her expected companion. He stood before her, arms crossed. He looked down at her observantly, wondering why she looked so dejected. Their eyes made contact, and he saw instantly how glassy hers were.

He told himself it was the light of the moon or just shadows playing tricks on him. He wasn't willing to speculate why she could possibly be bothered. As she rose to her feet, he evaluated their new nightly ritual.

Each night, she'd babble something about how she couldn't sleep or why it was inconvenient that she couldn't sleep. He wouldn't offer her the information that he usually struggled to fall asleep, but he assumed that she had drawn the conclusion on her own. Then, without any apparent transition, they would spar. He would win their sparring session once it had dragged out far too long, and she would leave.

What he didn't understand was why he kept returning each night. He guessed his curiosity kept him coming—he wondered why she couldn't sleep yet again. His psychological issues regarding why he struggled with sleep were far more obvious than hers. What could possibly be so burdensome in her life to keep her up at night? She would probably tell him if he asked, but he found it strange that she hadn't willingly told him in her babbles.

What piqued his curiosity even more so was why she habitually returned. Surely, there were no romantic intentions. She was too brutal of a fighter to be imagining an amorous evening spent bonding with him. Furthermore, he told himself, they _weren't_ bonding.

She gave him a polite smile.

The other reason why he returned each night was that he didn't mind the sparring sessions much. As much pleasure as he and Naruto found in beating on each other, it was refreshing to focus his battle skills against someone new. He would inevitably win, but the sessions were somewhat progressive regardless.

"Ready?" she asked, taking a stance. He nodded, waiting for her to charge at him.

**X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X**

_**The goddess would continue to gain his attention, attempting to rouse him. These efforts would awaken him briefly, but he would return to his state and ignore her. **_

Each evening that followed had a special and bizarre training cycle.

She would arrive in the forest sometime around midnight. Then, she would have to find Sasuke in the darkness. She knew he did this to improve her ability to sense him. He was surprisingly efficient at going undetected, but her chakra control enabled her to perfect finding him rapidly. Sakura teased Sasuke often about his desire to play Hide and Seek every night. He'd roll his eyes at her each time.

Then, he would charge at her unexpectedly, forcing her to protect herself. Their fights would then break out.

She put up a good fight. She couldn't match his speed, but she could certainly hold her own against him. She never held back. Her fists were furious and strong, bruising him if he wasn't quick enough to move.

Never once did he activate his Sharingan. Each night when she observed this, she would become royally unnerved and angry. Her speed would increase—her ability to dodge him, flawless—and her attacks were twice as brutal. Once he was able to stop her, he would stare at her as she panted raggedly with fury. Each night he was amazed, wondering where such anger was born from.

The final part of each night was by far the most fascinating. Sasuke always marveled at how her tone and behavior would change so rapidly.

After their wild fights against one another, things would grow calm. Instead of enraged with passionate dueling, their bodies would relax into something unfamiliar. Sakura would always offer to heal Sasuke, and he would refuse her until she'd healed herself first. Once she was in satisfactory condition, he would stare at her expectantly. She would smile kindly, and then proceed to heal him.

She was a phenomenal healer, beyond his understanding. Her fingers would mend his flesh with ease. Sasuke would marvel to himself over her capabilities. Yes, he had mastered inflicting pain and death. His battle prowess was well known and matched by few.

While Sakura wasn't a warrior like him or Naruto, she had a gift far more precious. Her ability to preserve life and ease pain seemed so contrary, especially to the ninja lifestyle.

Everything about her seemed so contrary. One moment, they would charge at one another with the burning rage of the fight. She would strike him without mercy. Likewise, he would attack her without even feigning restraint. However, once the battle was over, she was gentle toward him.

Quiet.

Peaceful.

Soothing.

Enough so that, each night, he would return home and sleep contentedly.

Their nights together blended into an endless form for Sakura. Weeks passed, her sleep slowly returning to something she could handle. Her nights after her training were not restless, but full of contentment. She continued to work at the hospital and complete missions with her team. The story kept up its daily rounds in her mind as well.

_**The goddess did feel pain from her beloved's neglect, but her spiritual wholeness for following the correct path dulled the pain to tolerable levels. **_

All the while, she kept her evening ritual to herself. While it wasn't necessarily a secret, it felt almost too delicate to share with the world.

On a particularly memorable night, she finally expressed openly a token of warm feelings toward Sasuke. He hadn't been aware until that night that he'd been anxiously awaiting evidence of her affection for him—like when they were genin. They had completed their round of Hide and Seek and sparring. He sat before her, wincing as she tried to fix a particularly painful wound she had inflicted on his shoulder.

"Sorry," she breathed softly.

He sat patiently, waiting for the inevitable relief she'd find for him. She bit her lip as she focused on him. She pressed on the wound and vaguely heard Sasuke hiss in pain. Slowly realizing how to mend him, she started to soothe the ache of the injury.

"Sorry," she repeated herself. "I should practice shoulder wounds more."

He offered her no response for a few moments. A pensive, distant look fell over him as he remembered a time long since passed. After she mended the wound she had dealt him, she massaged the spot for a moment, making sure it was not tender with pain.

He mumbled something softly. Her hands stopped moving, afraid to miss any of his words.

"When I was…."

A long pause.

"When I was not part of Konoha… there was this town. I heard a group of men talking about a healer from Konoha with pink hair. You were highly regarded."

A small smile was etched on her face. Sakura felt a warm wave of joy rush and overcome her. Unable to contain herself, a giggle escaped her. Sasuke felt a sense of peace from hearing the sound.

Lost in the sensation of Sasuke speaking kindly to her, her arms instinctively wrapped around his shoulders. He inhaled sharply, surprised by the sudden burst of affection. The hug was familiar…refreshing. It was like a sudden manifestation of a memory that had faded and gone fuzzy. The touch was so clear, so real. He had nearly forgotten what a hug felt like.

Except…this hug felt gentler than the ones gone pale in his memory. It impacted him more than others, but the touch was more delicate. If he moved too fast, spoke, or expressed any distaste, he knew the hug would crumble. So, he remained perfectly still, trying to let her remain as long as she pleased.

"Sorry," she murmured shyly into his ear as she pulled herself away.

He thought to himself that he didn't mind the hug that much, but said nothing.

**X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X**

When she resumed working her usual hospital shifts, she found herself quietly yawning. She slept far better than she had before, but more energy was expended each day. She knew she could take a break—that she didn't have to meet up with him _every _night.

But she couldn't resist.

Of course, she couldn't skip her regular team training times either. She had tried a couple of times, but Naruto grew anxious and showed up at her front door. He demanded that she come train, using his usual playful antics. Unable to disappoint him, she would attend the training sessions.

Besides, she wasn't willing to explain to anyone how she was growing so strong when she had failed to attend training. Logic would follow that she had been doing _something. _And she wasn't willing to share her _something. _Not yet.

It was something precious that she didn't want to reveal to the world. He, apparently, regarded the time in a nonnegative light. That isn't to say that she thought Sasuke _liked_ training alone with her…but maybe he found it a satisfactory substitute to tossing and turning in bed. Or, perhaps, he just regarded it with the same neutrality he gave her.

However, there was a night when she questioned her judgment of his neutrality.

They'd been particularly rough on each other that night. He held her down to the earth, pinning her aggressively with each attempt she made to struggle. Eventually, she managed to wriggle from his grasp and strike him off of her. He grabbed her ankle when she tried to rise and pulled her back onto the ground. He pinned her again. She struggled once more, but this time she was not able to escape.

This scenario was not unusual. What followed _was_.

After she'd healed him and herself, she wished him a friendly goodnight.

He grasped her shoulder, not allowing her to leave. Instead, his hand ran through her hair. Slowly, with precise perfection, he removed leaves that had embedded themselves in her pink tresses during their struggle. Her mouth pouted slightly in surprise, but she remained still for him. He eyed her analytically, his fingers brushing against her scalp time and time again. Even when all the bits of leaves were gone, he ran his hand through her hair two extra times.

At first, he intended on just removing them. But, as time went on, he grew fascinated by the weight and texture of her hair. Seemingly heavy, the hair was light and silky in his grasp—easily smoothed.

Even more so, he was curious why he liked touching it.

Suddenly withdrawing from her, he looked away. Without any words, he left.

In his wake, she remained still. Her body was numbed entirely—fuzzy and vibrating with shock. Never had he touched her so delicately, even for the briefest of seconds. She stood still, afraid to move away from the moment. Even though he was gone, she couldn't bring herself to stir from the spot. She felt as if leaving would make her forget the electric feeling of his hand running through her hair. A cool breeze rustled her hair, making it fall forward and tickle her face. Tucking the hair away, a soft smile finally settled on her shocked form. Hope leaped within her and she wished for him to touch her like that again.

"_Maybe next time," _she assured herself ever so quietly.

**X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X**

_**The god grew fearful for the goddess. He believed the raw energy of the universe surrounding him could harm her, so he encouraged her to defend herself. Thus, the goddess strived for the way of the warrior. **_

Shortly after that incident, he changed the intent of their sparring sessions. What had once been a mere exercise to relax them became a series of lessons. Lessons in flaws he had observed she had. She would have been offended if there wasn't a clear and concise meaning behind each lesson. Each time he directed her to do something, he was teaching her to defend herself. These lessons of defense were not intended to fight an unknown enemy.

They were intended to teach her to protect herself from _him. _

Each and every attack he had ever successfully used against her in the past was brought up. He would instruct her how to defend against his favored attacks. Why or where he had gotten such an idea, she couldn't fathom. More so, she didn't understand why he was so passionately insistent that she perfect them.

He managed to step behind her.

How, how, how, _how_ could he always get behind her? Every night! Every time! For years now! Her frustration was cut short when she felt something icy against her neck. Her skin puckered from the cold.

His arm wrapped roughly around her abdomen, holding her in place. A kunai lay flat against her neck. Her heart instantly began to pound wildly, making her vision obscure. Air caught in her chest. She couldn't breathe, no matter how much she tried to collect herself. The position was too familiar. Events of a nightmarish past became vivid and tangible.

He'd attempted to kill her before in this very stance.

"Get out of my grasp," he ordered her slowly, factually. He pressed the kunai harder against her neck, but not enough to cut or pierce her skin. If she moved incorrectly, she would harm herself.

"I can't," she breathed. Her knees were growing weak. She feared she would collapse, but he did not pull away.

"This is a common stance," he continued with an edge in his tone. "You need to learn to remove yourself from it."

She tried not to let her voice crack the next time she spoke.

"I don't know how," she answered.

"Figure it out," he ordered, growing angry. A shiver rippled through her. Even though she knew he wasn't about to cut her throat open, she felt threatened. Her heart pounded harder, blood rushing through her. As terrified as her body responded, she felt a peak of arousal begin to spike through her. He was so close. The warmth of his breath on her neck as he ordered her. His solid body pressed against hers. The undeniable attraction she felt whenever he took command.

"Do it, Sakura," he growled huskily. With each moment, he grew more and more impatient with her. She shifted against him, frightened by the foreign, raw sound emitting from him. Yet, a spark of excitement jumped between her legs at the low rumble of her name. The kunai shifted against her ever so slightly, reminding her of how she _should _be feeling threatened. She eased away from the kunai, her backside pressing further into him.

All his muscles jerked, aware of her close proximity. With each inhalation of air, he breathed in her delicate scent. Her stomach flexed against his hand, alerting him of her fear. She shuddered, easing back against him again. He could feel the heat of her body, making his head spin.

"Sakura!" he reprimanded in frustration, jarring her into action.

Her hand rose and grasped his forearm slowly. Using her unbelievable strength, she gradually pushed the kunai away from her throat.

There was a pause, a moment where their bodies remained close. Both were unwilling to step away from each other. Their bodies were not ready to feel the cold of the night without the heat of the other.

Suddenly aware of himself, Sasuke pulled the kunai to her neck once more.

"Again," he ordered. "Faster this time, so I am not aware. Get out of my grasp."

**X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X**

He knocked her out the next night.

She was going to figure out how that bastard was always so quick. She did have monstrous strength—when she could catch him, she could inflict a considerable amount of damage. The trick was catching him.

When she came to, she realized she was out far longer than usual. Either he had been too rough with her, or she was unusually slow to recover from the blow. With her head resting on the ground, her eyes fluttered open slowly. She realized how much time had passed when she saw pink and orange streaks beginning to slowly taint the dark depths of the night sky.

She inhaled then sighed, rolling over slightly. The side of her face gently nudged a leg. To her surprise, she found Sasuke sitting patiently beside her. His legs were folded, his back against the tree. He looked from the sky to her. A single brow rose, which she took to mean, _"Are you alright?"_

She said nothing, but gave him a somewhat bashful smile as a response. Her throbbing head longed for a sort of softness to rest upon. Following some ill-conceived instinct, she laid her head on his lap. Bliss eased into her momentarily while she remained unaware. Once she realized what she had done, she felt a stone drop through her.

However, he did not push her off. He kept entirely still, neither encouraging nor discouraging.

"Want me to take you home?" he asked. He did not look down at her—a strange heat was crawling up his neck towards his cheeks. The soft pressure of her head resting upon him consumed his awareness, and he reacted in a way too foreign to him. His heart beat a little faster and, despite himself, he could not will it to settle. As his heart raced, his face grew warmer.

She waited a moment and slowly gathered herself to rise. Her eyes slid to him and a shock passed through her as she observed an unfamiliar hue of pink across his cheekbones. He looked agitated as he turned his face away from her—was that a blush he was trying to hide, she wondered.

"No," she answered with a sincere smile. A sudden, mysterious bit of elation jumped through her, giving her energy. "I can get home alone."

**X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X**

Their sessions grew inconsistent with their various missions and her busy daytime life. When they were home at the same time, she would still attempt to arrive on the spot. Sometimes, she would collapse on her couch when she got home. She would sleep past her time with him.

He didn't express annoyance when she did not show. In fact, he did not acknowledge that she had even _been_ absent. Eventually, however, his displeasure with her absences became apparent. He even seemed to have suspicions about why she didn't show.

After their usual battle, he tilted his head to the side. He analyzed her closely, scrutinizing her. Boldly, he spoke his mind.

"Do you train alone with other men?" he asked accusingly. She must have been hallucinating, but she thought she heard a hint of jealousy and suspicion in his tone. She had to have imagined it—longed for it. There was no way Sasuke could be _jealous_. She was so taken aback, she couldn't form an answer.

His eyebrow rose in impatience.

"No," she blurted. "You're my only… t-the only man I ever train with alone."

His look of annoyance faded. He nodded at her, but said nothing by way of explanation.

Dare she believe it, but did he look a little _relieved_?__

_**When the god would awaken from his mediation briefly, he always checked to make sure the goddess remained devoted. Potential jealousy would burn through him, but each time he opened a single eye, she continued to have love within for only him. This pacified him. The god, however, denied any longing for her. **_

**X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X**

Uchiha Sasuke had found a new lie to tell himself. He told himself that he trained with her constantly because he wanted to build trust. Sakura was not like Naruto, who instantly forgave him. She needed some help rehabilitating the scraps of trust she had for him. He reasoned to himself that he was obligated to this for the sake of his team. Despite this theory being articulate and logical, it was a complete and total lie.

He _liked_ spending time with her.

There was no other reason for his actions. He wasn't trying to benefit his training. He wasn't trying to establish trust, though it was a bonus of the time spent together.

He simply was drawn to her—to time spent with her alone.

His favorite part, though he would never admit it to himself, was when she healed him. He secretly craved the time after their sparring was over, when they'd sit together calmly…and her fingers would travel along his skin.

He wondered occasionally if she attacked his chest and back so frequently on purpose. His suspicion was that she liked running her hands over his torso. Confirming his thought even further was how she'd occasionally rub his back after she healed him. When her fingers brushed against his skin, vibes of satisfaction would jump in his muscles.

Despite enjoying the way she touched him, he told himself there was no sexual attraction.

That is, until the night she cut her lip.

They had been wrestling on the ground, a kunai between them. The kunai had slipped from her grasp and slid across her mouth. He hated the slight of her blood, even though she managed to cover her mouth with her hand quickly.

Moving rapidly, her green glow mended the delicate flesh she had torn. She poured water from a bottle across her mouth, removing the excess blood. She washed off her hands then tested her lips by touching them gently.

He watched all the while, transfixed.

Her viridian eyes flashed to him. The glowing tones of night made her eyes more vibrant.

"Did I heal it completely?" she asked him. Her bottom lip pouted forward slightly.

He rested his hand on her cheek, thumb brushing across the lower lip. Their eyes met, and for a moment, he couldn't look away. A strange thought bubbled inside him.

He wondered what it would feel like if he leaned his face against hers. He wondered if he'd like the feeling of her lips on his. Kissing her lower lip. Running his tongue along it.

He fought the horrifying new urge, pulling away from her.

"It's fine," he snapped.

**X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X**

_**The other gods grew restless from the god's obvious detachment from the goddess. The god of lust and desire was sent to awaken the detached god from his meditation. The god of lust tried to allure the god with the sweet smells of springtime when he watched the goddess. **_

Uchiha Sasuke was _not _a sexual person. Whether that was due to his development into adulthood in an insecure environment or to his overall repressed personality, he didn't know—but it held frighteningly true. He did not pant and lust for women the way his peers did. And, for the record, he did not want men either.

That's probably why the new sensations he'd been experiencing were driving him mad.

Training alone with Sakura…it inspired something completely new in him. Lust would trickle through his frame with each of her movements. When she lunged forward to attack, he had primitive thoughts of pulling her closer by the waist. When he tackled her and held her to the ground, his mind whispered thoughts of pinning her down in a completely different manner. He imagined how it would feel to have her body struggle against his for a completely different reason. What her face would look like contorted with pleasure instead of pain.

He'd always been plagued by dreams of her. When he slept, images of them alone together teased his mind and body. He frequently dreamed of undressing her and touching her, but he dismissed it as a natural reaction from his subconscious toward the most important woman in his life. He reasoned to himself that there was no real attraction; merely, she was the only female close enough to him for his dreams to warrant such action. No man sleeps his entire life without erotic dreams, and it was only logical that his erotic dreams featured her. He was physically healthy, after all. He was physically supposed to be sharing his urges with another. He ought to be relieving himself at least.

So, when he did not pursue any physical gratification, he assumed it was natural that his body would release it during his dreams.

This… this suddenly new sensation… could not be rationalized. This was _real. _He was _awake. _

And he loathed it all with a passion.

He was constantly thinking of touching her. Touching her gently in affection. Touching her to pique her interest. Touching her to make her moan.

The absolutely worst stimulant for his desire was when she healed delicate places on his body. There had been a time when he found peace in her touch. Now, he only felt desire. A mysterious, sharp desire to return each of her touches. His fingers twitched in longing to move across smooth skin.

Smooth skin that seemed to glow in the moonlight. He absorbed it all. The details he took in when he spent time with her overwhelmed him. Each sensation from her touch was twice as vivid as the touch itself. The colors of the night, usually muted and dull, were now vibrant. The blues of the world at night seemed too radiant now. The cool tones of night made her naturally warm appearance smolder.

It was as if he was experiencing spring for the first time.

Her fingers brushed across his thighs, tightly crashing him into reality. She kneeled beside him, healing some wound that was too deep to ignore. The pit of his stomach grew warm as he watched her. A question posed itself in his mind.

What would it feel like if her fingers tickled up his thighs?

The warmth in the pit of his stomach grew into a heat. Sparks of something ignited themselves in his groin. Such an alluring kunoichi was touching him in the night. He considered the consequences of pulling her onto his lap.

He began to watch her intently.

Her face remained completely still and controlled. Too much so. A heated blush had crept across her cheeks, telling him that she was also aware of the intimacy of their position. She'd tucked her bottom lip under her teeth in an attempt to comfort herself. Despite being nervous, thrills of excitement rolled across her from being able to touch his thighs, even if the touch was for medical reasons. Once he was mended, she pulled away. He expected a form of relief on her face, but instead found a stronger blush forming.

"All better, Sasuke-kun?" she asked with a cheery tone. She tried to look pleasantly innocent, but her eyes did not sparkle with childishness. Instead, they seemed to burn with her own hints of longing.

He nodded, swallowing past a suddenly dry throat.

**X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X**

_**The detached god was angered by the lust inflicted upon him.**_

He hated it. He hated being constantly lustful for her attention, and he especially hated how he was no longer himself. Instead, he acted like someone else.

He planned his entire day around her, or rather, so that he would have plenty of energy by nightfall. Some days, he could hardly handle the slow dragging of time. He anxiously waited for sundown, wishing away his whole day. Even more burdensome than her manipulation of his schedule was her manipulation of his thoughts. He thought of her constantly. And when he thought of her, his heart would race. His focus would be completely shattered. At this rate, he could hardly function as a ninja.

This was all obviously her fault. She had somehow managed to charm him. Oh, how he _loathed_ being captivated by her every action and word. How tiring it was to constantly dwell on her, but he couldn't help himself. Even the incredibly thick Dobe had noticed something was amiss with him.

When she arrived the next night, Sakura was greeted with the fiercest of glares.

"No Hide and Seek tonight?" she asked in nervous playfulness. His glare grew more intense.

This was so like her. She was constantly annoying him. When she wasn't babbling too much, she was making that sad face. When she made that sad face, he felt immense guilt. When he wasn't feeling guilty, he was considering ridiculously sentimental thoughts.

All of it was supremely annoying. His annoyance toward her grew to a peak that night.

Her heart began to beat a little faster from his forceful glare. He unsheathed his sword.

"Get ready," he barked at her.

Why was he so angry?

He lunged at her, and she managed to evade him. What followed was probably her most frightening experience with him since he had returned to Konoha. His actions were not precise fighting, but an animalistic and violent rage. Her heart pounded in her ears, urging her to avoid him using all the ways he had personally taught her to evade his attacks.

For the first time ever, she managed to get behind him. With a rough punch to his arm, she knocked the sword from his hand. She stepped backwards, avoiding him as he twisted to hit her. He dove forward unpredictably against her.

She landed with a harsh thud on the earth. He climbed atop her, dominating her. But not the way a teammate or friend dominated in a spar. His domination was aggressive…and somehow sexual. Her eyes widened as she began to openly pant in fear and excitement. She struggled frantically against him. As she did so, her hips bucked against his. He grabbed a hold of her shoulders to pound them against the ground.

"Stop that," he growled.

Her eyes snapped up to his. For, perhaps, the first time ever, _she_ glared at _him_.

"You're really annoying me lately," he snapped.

She huffed in response. He analyzed her. Her cheeks were flushing, most likely from anger. Her lips were full, pouting. He tightened his grip on her as he tilted his head. Suddenly, his control slipped away from him.

He lowered his lips against hers harshly. The kiss was none too gentle, bruising her. Her body instantly stiffened in shock. She inhaled sharply beneath him in surprise. When he realized the forced kiss was not reciprocated, he pulled away.

He looked down at her, his eyes lowered. Shame struck him violently. Where was his control?

"You!" she gasped with fiery eyes, unable to even form a complete sentence. Then, her hand tangled into his hair. With a fairly brutal tug, she pulled him back down to her mouth.

The kiss did not lack ferocity, but this time, it was not painful. Her lips moved surely against his, making his tight grip on her shoulders loosen somewhat. His tongue slipped from his mouth to slide across her lower lip.

Far more enjoyable than he ever imagined.

Then, his tongue ran into her mouth. Perhaps the way they kissed was _too _rough. Surely, they would both have bruised lips, but neither cared. Both had been far too desperate for this touch to feign gentleness. When her teeth tugged his lower lip, he gave a broken groan. He thrust his tongue against hers again. Their mouths worked restlessly—tongues rubbing, teeth nipping and chewing.

Sakura began moaning beneath him. Neither of them could breathe steadily, both left panting.

When he finally managed to pull himself away from her lips, he couldn't help but admire her state. Her lips looked far more appealing when they were puffy and swollen from hungry kisses. He smirked at her and she giggled playfully in response.

**X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X**

Sasuke stumbled into his house, still panting from the kisses that had teased him. His lips were sore from the ferocity. He rested a finger on them. He stood still a moment, remembering how she wriggled so in his grasp. The sound of her giggle.

He immediately felt his heart begin to pump blood rapidly. Perhaps, it had never stopped pumping so wickedly inside him. He didn't have a mere hot pool of sensation in the pit of his stomach. He had a full-blown, raw ache for her.

He peeled off his shirt, his feet quickly padding to the shower. He threw the shirt to the floor, not caring where it landed. He stood in the entryway, staring into the bathroom. As much as he wanted to believe that a shockingly cold shower would cure his itch, he knew it would only manifest itself again. His eyes widened in surprise toward himself. He gave a short pant before turning on his heel.

He made his way into his bedroom, slamming the door behind him.

_Damn it. Damn it. Damn it. _

He wasn't an easily distracted man. He ought to be able to turn his attention from the desire his body kept demanding of him. Yet, he couldn't.

He had to give in, didn't he?

Remembering the sound of her moaning from his kisses, he felt his warm blood come to a boil.

"_Sasuke-kun…"_

He shook his head slightly, almost in disbelief of what she was driving him to. Surrendering, he settled onto his bed. His hand fell to the waistband of his pants, but he imagined the touch was softer. More feminine.

His hand slipped inside, gasping as his fingertips brushed against himself.

Relaxing, he fell backwards, lying down. He let himself fantasize about pulling her onto his lap. He firmly gripped himself, giving a long stroke.

He imagined her wrapping her arms around him. Kissing him. Pressing her weight against his lap pleasantly.

"_Nhh… Sasuke-kun, I'm so wet."_

A grunt escaped his lips as his fist moved percussively. His tongue flicked out to wet his lips.

He wondered what it would be like to lick her neck, to feel her wriggle beneath him because it felt so good. What it would be like to remove every piece of clothing from her. What it would feel like to kiss every inch of her newly bare skin.

"_More! More!"_

Touching her. Teasing her with his fingers. Licking in the most sensual and delicate of places.

His heart began pounding rapidly, thrumming directly into his ears. Pleasure spiked and tensed his muscles. A needy grunt escaped his throat.

If only she was biting his lip again. If only she were with him. If only he was thrusting into her…

His pumping was nearly constant now, speeding up. All his muscles were coiled. His mouth fell open as he felt his orgasm near. His eyes clenched shut as ragged pants escaped him. A soft curse fell from his lips as his abdominal muscles tightened. The sensations of his fantasy grew so vivid that he almost could feel her warmth. He could almost smell her intoxicating sweet scent. He moaned her name desperately.

"Sakura!"

White blinded his eyes with the intensity of his release, warm seed spilling into his fist.

A shaky breath escaped him as he tried to find composure. Sluggishly, he rose from his bed to clean himself before returning. He lay on his side, pressing his cheek into the pillow.

Instead of falling into a blissful sleep, his mind continued to dwell on Sakura. He wanted her desperately and some part of him slowly planned at what point he should bring her home. He'd pin her to the bed and, at the rate he wanted her, he'd keep her there for a couple of days.

But what would the long-term consequences of that be?

His lips fell into a frown. He could never use her so boldly. He couldn't bear to force additional emotional harm on her. She had been too kind with him—too loving.

But he _couldn't_ be with her. The idea vaguely tempted him for a moment. He took a moment to indulge his fantasy with whispers of pleasant phenomenon like…

Waking up to her laugh. He envisioned how she'd engage him in playful banter, despite the fact that he would never quite know what to say to her. How she'd sigh when she realized the time, muttering how she didn't want to get up and leave the heat of their embrace.

Making her breakfast. He pictured her in his too-big clothing as she rushed to the kitchen to find him. How he'd like to listen to her constant, upbeat babbling.

Returning home from a hard mission just to settle down beside her warmth in his bed. He imagined peeling off his clothes and sliding into bed as she sleepily wrapped her flushed body around his and pressed open-mouthed kisses against his neck.

But for how long? Did he seriously believe he could have a functional relationship? Something healthy, not destructive?

Two minutes before he'd kissed her, he had been hitting her.

"Stupid," he scolded himself, turning in his bed. Spending time alone with her was _never _a wise idea.

**X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X **

_Once again, I'd like to thank my beta Sakura's Indecision. She's an absolute angel. ^_^_


	3. Chapter 3

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_**Despite experiencing lust for the goddess, the god chose to reject the persuasion of bodily desire. To prove his seriousness on the matter, he killed the god of desire with a burning inferno. **_

He inhaled sharply. The sudden icy rush of night air burned his lungs, but he was hardly aware of the sensation. He barely knew where he even stood. Instinctively, he had stormed out of bed in frustration. Despite his firm choice to avoid her, his desire hadn't left him. Instead, he lay awake tortured with want. Unable to lie still a moment longer, he rose from his bed. If he trained, he wouldn't break under his physical desire. His now-constant want for her company.

When he left his house, he travelled, as if guided by instinct, toward their usual training spot. The sudden, sick realization that he was heading straight back to _her_ struck him, and he immediately turned toward the other edge of the village. As far away as possible from _their_ spot.

His rage made him disoriented. Fury burned within him, tightening his muscles, longing to scream from him. He hated his newfound desire. How it split him into two individuals, unable to cooperate with one another. One half demanded supreme detachment, the other longing shamelessly for _her. _

And he loathed _that. _

A steady grimace remained on his face as he inhaled sharply a second time.

He spun a kunai idly in his fingers as he wondered if he could ever possibly soothe himself. Carelessly, he flung the kunai. It pierced the flesh of a nearby tree, landing with a satisfying _thunk_.

Unsheathing his katana, he decided to obey to his anger. Slowly, rhythmically, he struck the landscape surrounding him. The more he gave in, the more rapidly he moved. His anger grew quicker and stronger, making his movements of destruction savage.

He moved more hastily, slashing and hacking at all his eyes landed upon. The trees circling him were fresh with scars, bark flying through the air. His breath became less controlled, falling into rapid pants. Yet, the more he moved, the more violence he craved.

He moved instinctively, his muscles tightening and coiling painfully within him. He was so inflamed, his eyes glared red. His fingers forcefully moved into the familiar signs of his clan's signature jutsu. He felt the pull of chakra gathering in his abdomen. Screaming his exhalation, fire released from deep within, burning and demolishing all he had struck before.

His eyes flicked across his surroundings, watching as green, lush life burned into dead ashes.

**X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X**

Night had arrived, but Sasuke had not.

Sakura sat waiting, her back against the tree. A kunai twirled slowly in her fingers. He should have arrived over two hours ago, but he had yet to show. It didn't take a genius to deduce why he hadn't arrived—why he wasn't going to arrive.

He had reconsidered the kiss. She didn't know what moved him to kiss her, but she sensed it wouldn't move him again.

For whatever reason he had found, she knew he would not be returning on future nights. He would not be spending time alone with her.

He certainly would not be touching her again.

_**The detached god refused to acknowledge any emotion toward the goddess. She mourned the death of the god of desire, for without his works, how could love survive? Nevertheless, the goddess remained true in her devotion to the hurtful, detached god. **_

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_**The goddess grew enraged and tired of striving for the god's attention. She decided to assert her strength to prove her equal worth. She lay on a bed of four fires in the summer. She exposed herself to the elements. Her body was put to the test, proving her worth to the god. Time continued forward without cease. He remained cold and disciplined in his withdrawal. But the goddess of the mountains would not be swayed. **_

_**The mountain is unmoving in its pursuit of heaven. **_

Months had passed since her nightly training sessions with Sasuke. Months since he'd kissed her, only to abandon her the next night.

She should have been counting the days, but it was too painful. She comforted herself by remembering harsher times when she was forced to cope without him.

Nevertheless, she maintained her training. She didn't return to the spot where she met up with Sasuke. Instead, she trained at different times, in different places, but never alone with another man—not even a close friend like Naruto.

In fact, the only person she cared to train with alone was Ino. The blonde proved to be an exceptional yoga teacher and, in exchange, Sakura would tutor her in medical jutsu.

"Okay, let's start," Ino began to chatter. An additional benefit to training with Ino was her ability to interrupt any thoughts Sakura gathered. Suddenly pulled to attention, Sakura eyed her friend. Ino stood, balancing on one foot. Sakura quickly mirrored her position.

"Good," Ino nodded. "Now pull your foot upward toward the back of your neck. Hands together."

Ino's hands arched above her head and back. The tips of her fingers held onto the tips of her toes. Abruptly, Sakura realized her friend looked like a backwards _P_.

"Do it, Forehead," Ino ordered. Sakura immediately mirrored her, struggling with balance slightly. With each stretch, her balanced greatly improved.

"What's with this sudden effort to get so strong?" Ino tried to pry from her. "Do you have to act so much like Sasuke and Naruto? Ya know, other teams don't behave like you freaks."

Sakura laughed at Ino's friendly dig, but never directly answered her. She couldn't bear to explain to her best friend what her new goal was—she couldn't explain it to anyone just yet. It was so ludicrous that she loathed even inventing it.

Her goal was simple. She was going to spar with Sasuke again someday. She was going to prove she was not inferior to him, but his equal.

Then, she was going to pound his flawless face in with a variety of punches and punish him.

Whether this was inspired by the eerie folktale always on repeat in her mind, or her rage toward his hot-then-cold behavior, the goal was something she was more than determined to follow through with. Even if it took her entire lifetime to accomplish, she would assert herself.

With her fiery temper, one would assume she would've had at least one intense fight with Sasuke by now. Yet, she hadn't.

She was too angry to even speak to him.

Ironically, the only person who observed this abnormality was Naruto. Fearful for Sakura's answer if he asked, he had never addressed the issue. Naruto knew they wouldn't keep up this silent act with each other for much longer.

"Wanna learn a new stretch?" Ino asked playfully, jarring Sakura from her thoughts. "This one is tricky!"

"Yeah," Sakura murmured softly. Passionate about her position of authority over Sakura, Ino was an assertive teacher. Ino absolutely loved knowing something Sakura did not. Having a best friend who was so knowledgeable was a little irksome, so any opportunity to demonstrate mastery was welcomed.

Ino let her feet fall to the ground and rolled her shoulders. Then she placed her hands on the ground before her.

"You're not doing it right if your ass doesn't stick out," she explained. Sakura smirked at Ino's informal teaching style.

Slowly, Ino's left foot rose back toward her neck. She held the arching foot for a moment.

"Then you can use this move for a circus trick!" Ino continued to explain. The second foot slowly rose, while her hands held her torso at a forty-five degree angle to the ground. She balanced her weight accordingly using her feet, not allowing herself not to fall. Suddenly, Ino's legs lunged towards a spot by her head. Her body flipped and she landed on her feet.

"Ta da!" Ino sang playfully.

Sakura frowned in response. Ino's face fell. Yet another attempt to make her friend sunny had failed.

"So, you're leaving on a mission tomorrow?" Ino rapidly changed the subject as she ushered Sakura into the downward position. Sakura nodded absently in response.

"Checking on a mountain range. Just a surveillance mission," Sakura answered tonelessly. Her face darkened, dreading spending any time around her Uchiha teammate. Thankfully, Naruto's babbling eased some of the sharp edges between them.

"Well, I think an easy mission will do you some good!" Ino beamed as she observed Sakura's stance. She took hold of Sakura's ankle, easing it towards her neck. "You spend too much time in that gloomy hospital! You're wasting away. Soon, you won't have any tits, skinny girl."

Sakura rolled her eyes. Ino was constantly exaggerating the effects of too much work on Sakura's body. She had not lost any weight, but Ino liked to pretend she was fragile or something.

"You're just jealous because mine are bigger," Sakura teased her. A wide smile spread across Ino's face. Finally, a non-moody Sakura!

"Pft…lots of your stuff is bigger. Like your forehead," Ino bantered in response.

Sakura stuck out her tongue as she raised her legs into the air. It was mysterious how Ino's insults could comfort her.

**X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X**

The mission had not been so simple after all. There was an ambush.

Her mind was foggy on the details. They had settled into a cave for the night. One moment, Naruto was beside her babbling and eating ramen. Then, there was a snap. She watched as blood sprayed across his shirt. Vaguely, she wondered where it had come from since she hadn't seen a kunai land on him.

Then, a searing pain across her shoulder alerted her that _she_ had been the one who was hit.

In the battle that followed, a particularly strong punch to an opponent missed. She struck the side of the cave instead, causing a cave in. She was cut off from her team. She was not, however, cut off from her enemy.

Despite the fallen stone around her and her shoulder injury, she managed to defeat her opponent and escape. Unfortunately, she had to make her way through the other side of the mountain to get out. She couldn't risk pounding the rockslide in the cave to get back—she wouldn't endanger her teammates that way. When she emerged from the other side, she found herself far from her team.

It took her five days to find them. The path had been long…frightening. Once she finally did find them, she was tackled into a hug from Naruto.

Uchiha Sasuke's eyes flicked across her form. Despite surviving in the mountain range for days alone, she did not have a scratch. Even more impressive was her ability to take down an extremely powerful enemy without the aid of a teammate.

_**As she proved herself time and time again, prestige collected around her. This attracted the god's attention, but he hesitated coming forth.**_

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_**The goddess would not be deterred by nature. Her love existed beyond the realm of the earth, which powered her into braving the elements as she performed her **__**austere rituals. **_

Thunder cracked across the sky, accompanied shortly after by a flash of lighting. Had he been sleeping, surely the rumble would have woken Sasuke.

Rolling over, he tried to stop his mind from racing. He had already tried for hours now to repress his thoughts of Sakura, but as always, he was failing. A low rumble of thunder made him flick his eyes open.

He had a hunch. He knew that Sakura trained nightly without him. He could see clearly how much stronger she was becoming. He knew she was beyond determined to maintain her schedule, but he could not gather why. When thunder cracked a third time, he sat up in bed.

He wondered if she was training outside right now. Rising from the bed, he padded to the window to look outside. Sheets of rain soaked the grass, making it look as flooded as a rice paddy. The wind howled, rippling the rapidly rising mass of water.

Surely, she wasn't training outside tonight. She knew better…right?

His lips set into a grimace. He wasn't sure. Sakura could be twice as stubborn as him. He wondered if she remained rigidly determined to keep training. If she was outside, she'd surely fall ill from this stunt.

He huffed a sigh.

He couldn't sleep because of it. Because he didn't think she should be outside, cold and wet late into the night. Because he absolutely _hated _any harm that might come her way. Despite himself, he couldn't control his urge to shield her from harm.

He knew he wouldn't have any rest until he checked up on her. With a self-assuring nod, he began to dress for the elements. He was going to check up on her, and she had better _not _be stupid enough to be outside training in the usual spot.

_Their _usual spot—or what had once been theirs, he thought with a pang of guilt. Immediately, he repressed the pang from his consciousness.

Before he rushed out his front door, he braced himself for the wet and cold. With a sharp inhalation of air, he ran as quickly as possible. His vision was blurred from heavy rain and his speed, but he didn't need to see to find her. His feet seemed to trace a path directly to her, as if following some magnetic pull. Once he made his way to the clearing, he slowed. If she was out, he did not want to alert her to his presence.

Despite the sheen of rain and the sinister black of the night, he could see her clearly. Her wet, pink hair, falling in tangled chunks, practically glowed in the miserable, gloomy night. His breath caught, transfixed by her. He watched her hold a pose despite the elements attacking her viciously.

She stood on one foot, perfectly balanced. Her fingers arched backward behind her body while her unused foot arched back to her fingers. The wind howled around her, but she did not shiver. Clearly, she warmed herself continuously with chakra. Rain poured over her body, making her clothes cling to her tightly.

Despite his initial concerns about her training in the elements, all thoughts were temporarily placed on hold as he stared in awe. No amount of self control could repress his sudden desire for her. Her determination—her stance. The way the sinister dark of night gave her a mystifying, ethereal glow. The way the arch of her back presented her breasts so appealingly. He stared for a moment, his heart stirring as he watched her.

A clap of lightning illuminated her starkly and his protective instinct suddenly struck him, overriding his desire to merely watch her.

"Sakura!" he called, alerting her to his presence. Her eyes flicked open, watching him rapidly approach her. She eased herself to standing on her two feet. He stood before her, attempting to intimidate her by standing close. He stared down at her, his gaze hard and unforgiving.

"What the hell are you doing?" he seethed over the sound of the rain.

"Training! A discipline exercise!" she answered, unable to suppress her pride and dedication. "I've been in that pose since before the rain!"

He gave her a fierce glare.

"You'll get yourself sick," he scolded, but she didn't seem threatened.

"I can do this," she answered him surely, trying to cool him from growing too angry. He could barely hear her above the rumble of the storm. Something agitated him—he was discomforted by her determination. They stared at each other intently for a moment, neither willing to back down. As he looked into her gaze, his anger quelled somewhat. It was almost as if he had decided to trust her judgment—or, perhaps, he did not have the will to crudely force her away. He had done equally impulsive and irrational things in the pursuit of strength. He was aware that he had no right to dissuade her.

"You're being foolish. You'll get inside, if you know what's good for you," he warned before appearing to leave.

However, he did not leave her entirely. She could sense his presence nearby, despite his attempt to mask himself. She smiled ever so softly.

It was nice to have him watch over her.

Meanwhile, he stared in awe. He admired her determination and devotion—even if it was at the risk of her health.

**X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X**

_**The goddess continued training herself, spinning energy all around. Heat collected from her energy. Fueling the heat even further was her anger from being neglected. The other gods soon grew hot and begged the detached god to relieve them. They begged that he answer her request, whatever it may be. **_

Naruto tapped his fingers anxiously on the table. His ramen, surprisingly, lay ignored. The young man pursued a singular train of thought.

He was counting.

When was the last time he saw Sasuke speak to Sakura? When was the last time Sakura talked to Sasuke?

He couldn't remember exactly. Over three months perhaps?

He scratched his head. He had given them the opportunity to play nice and make up. In the past, Sakura and Sasuke rarely, if ever, came into conflict. Usually, the two would be united on any issue, whether it was because of their similar tendency to follow logic or Sakura's tendency to always agree with Sasuke. Lately, they agreed on nothing.

Hell, lately, they didn't even _speak_ enough to disagree!

Naruto hated it. He loathed the tension so intensely. Their recent distance from one another made him feel like a child torn between two feuding parents. He didn't much care for the origin of their fight, only that peace be restored in their makeshift family.

Clicking his chopsticks together, he slowly began to eat and ponder.

He couldn't address the issue head on. If he asked Sakura what had happened, she would roll her eyes and brush him off. She'd probably make a snide comment about how she and Sasuke never really spoke to one another. She'd claim they had nothing to say, but that didn't mean there was tension.

Bullshit.

He sure as hell wasn't going to ask Sasuke what was wrong. That would be twice as pointless as asking Sakura.

Therefore, he had to resolve the issue without actually knowing the origin of the issue.

He tapped the chopsticks against his chin.

Sasuke would never ask for forgiveness…whatever he had done. Hell, Sasuke had tried to _murder_ Naruto more than once and had never so much as said sorry! A solution between the pair would require Sakura accepting Sasuke and all the flaws that followed with having a friendship with him. Surely, she had decided long ago that his value far outweighed his angry tendencies and lack of obvious kindness.

He brought more noodles to his lips.

He'd have to exploit Sakura's nurturing side—the part of her that tried to soothe Sasuke, despite his faults. The part of her that could never do him harm, but would always, always try to heal him.

A small smirk formed on his lips.

He'd just have to send Sasuke to the hospital for his and Sakura's own good.

**X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X**

Sakura rubbed her forehead in frustration. Sometimes, she couldn't even begin to grasp what the hell happened between her teammates when she was absent. Although Naruto tried to explain everything to her more than once, she simply didn't get it.

"Let me get this straight," she drawled out. Naruto knew her slow pace meant hell was forming inside her. He knew his punishment was rapidly approaching, but he didn't care—anything to restore balance.

"You ambushed Sasuke," she continued.

"Yep!"

"And then you knocked him out."

"Yep!"

"And threw in a few extra punches for the hell of it?"

"Uh…"

Well, he had to make sure Sasuke wouldn't wake up before he brought him to the hospital! Sakura gave him a warning huff.

"Then," she hissed, continuing her summary. "You brought him in so I'd have _more_ work? You think it's funny to knock people out for no reason?"

_Uh, oh. _

"Get out, you moron," she snarled.

Thankful he'd managed to narrowly escape punishment, Naruto immediately flash-stepped out of the room.

Had she not been so flustered with anger, annoyance, and a little hint of nervousness, she probably would have realized Naruto never acted randomly. This event was out of character for him entirely. If she were more aware, she would have realized something was up. Instead, she turned on her heel and walked into Sasuke's hospital room.

Her storming was halted when a dark gaze met hers. Apparently, he had awoken on his own. She inhaled sharply.

All she could remember was the delightful pressure of his body on hers. His lips…

Her face instantly went red. All the horrid trauma he brought upon her and now this, too!

"Are you hurting?" she babbled, averting her eyes. She desperately wished they weren't alone. If only she'd hadn't frightened Naruto away. His bright, obnoxious presence would have acted as a nice buffer between their inevitably awkward interactions to come.

Sasuke wondered briefly why Sakura's blushing was alluring, but managed to squash down the thought. If he dwelled on her too long, he'd feel guilt. Too many nights, guilt kept him from sleeping. He'd lay awake cognizant of the fact that she was training without him.

After their last mission, he was more than aware that she'd progressed rapidly without him. She didn't need him at all. After the night in the rain, he knew her devotion and dedication to perfection outweighed her desire to please him.

Like flexing a muscle, he repressed the thought from his consciousness.

"Neck," he answered her briefly.

With a nod, she began to soothe the pain in his neck.

Her fingers rubbed along his hairline, checking the sides of his face and skull for other possible wounds. Hadn't Naruto said, during one of his many explanations, that he'd hit Sasuke in the head more than once?

Eying Sasuke's scalp, she noticed a small bump hidden beneath his hair. Using her hand to hold down his feathery spikes, she identified a lump born of Naruto's successful attempt at giving Sasuke a concussion. He twitched apprehensively when she lightly ran her hand through his hair, and then smoothed his hair down a second time to confirm the size of the wound. She watched his eyes fall half-lidded, lost in the thought.

When he was a child, Sasuke's mother liked play with the natural spikes of his hair. She'd chatter to him pleasantly, remarking how both his father and brother had the hairline trait. They, however, grew their hair long to hide the spikes. She constantly encouraged Sasuke to keep his hair short, enjoying the hereditary trait. She always touched him with maternal affection, especially when his father was not around to deter her. His father believed that too much coddling and fussing would spoil Sasuke, making him a less focused shinobi...less like Itachi.

"After all," she'd coo in his ear. "It's one of the few looks you inherited from your father."

Then she'd pinch his cheeks.

"Oh, you're so cute! Look how handsome you are with my cheeks!" she'd whisper in soft amusement. Sasuke didn't much care for being played with in this manner, but his love and respect for his mother kept him from trying to escape her grasp. Besides, he would tell himself, she probably would have been able to catch him anyway.

The buzz on his scalp alerted him that Sakura had found a spot to heal. Suddenly, a strange thought came to him. What would his mother have thought of Sakura?

They were similar in ways—their gentle mannerisms and nurturing tones. Both exhibited unconditional, unwavering love. Despite Sakura's infamous temper, it was oh so rarely directed toward him. Even when he deserved it, Sakura always remained willing to comfort him. Sometimes, her attempts at comfort actually worked. Much like his mother was before her, Sakura was the primary source of affection and security in his life.

Undeniably, he knew the answer to his ponderings. His mother would have adored Sakura.

He could imagine how his mother would nudge him toward Sakura without any attempt at being subtle. How she'd ask about her, telling Sasuke that he should be spending time with her. He could almost hear her voice in his head.

How sorely disappointed would his mother be with his behavior toward Sakura?

A knot began to form within him. Why did he torture himself by thinking this way?

His mother was consumed by the fire clan and its sins. She and the rest of his family did not even remain as ashes...there was nothing left. Imagining his family's reaction now was pointless.

"How are you feeling? Does it still hurt?" a gentle voice asked, pulling him from his torment. He blinked up at her and shook his head. Even if he did have any pain, he would have lied. He needed to leave _now _before his mind punished him further.

His eyes flicked to Sakura, observing her concerned eyes. Despite the blatantly obvious tension between them, she still looked at him with as much care as ever. She brushed the back of her hand across his forehead.

Again, he let his mind wander to thoughts of having her around every day. What would it be like to share a home with her? Would it feel like he had a family again?

For the briefest of moments, he thought to himself how nice that would be as his hand came up to reach out to her. But he remembered how tainted he was and how being with Sakura would never work…so he snatched his hand back and repressed such thoughts from his mind by standing up abruptly.

"I'm fine," he snapped, before rushing to leave.

_**On the surface, the detached god refused temptation. From beneath, his stoic facade faltered. **_

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_**Despite himself, the god would devote time to the goddess. This time, the god of lust was not inspiring him. This time, his longing was born of emotional rebirth. **_

In the evening that followed, she was shocked to see him emerge from the shadows. Despite her continued annoyance with him, she felt a small smile tease her lips.

"I've been thinking," she remarked, a hint of playfulness in her tone. "Naruto snuck up on you today."

He raised a single brow at her.

"You should _always_ have your guard up," she mock-lectured, her eyes glimmering with mischief. To her amusement, he almost looked a little put off by the comment. Almost.

"Ready?" he asked, trying to stop her teasing. She gave him a small nod, taking a defensive stance.

Their fighting was divided…distant…and far different from before. When she moved toward him, he moved backwards. He avoided close contact entirely, keeping her at bay with kunai and ninjutsu.

He wasn't rushing her at all. He wasn't coming close to attack her. Instead, he moved mostly to defend himself and maintain the distance.

Before, their bodies would come close to one another. There was an openness to their battles—a purity in their aggressive expressions. They'd wrestle. He'd get on top of her. She would tackle him. There was always painful, but close, contact.

Now, they stayed at least three feet away from each other at all times, inflicting damage at a distance.

Observing the difference in his battle technique, Sakura used his hesitation to come close to her advantage. Forcing strength into her fists, she lunged and tried to beat him with several chakra-filled punches. Eventually, he escaped the tirade of pain and tackled her. He held her down forcefully, more brutally than he ever had before.

On the earth, Sakura twisted, but could not escape. Disappointment rained heavily upon her. She had been so dramatically close to victory…and she still came up short.

Her hair mussed in the wet grass, she looked up at Sasuke to cast a glare. Two Sharingan eyes spun cyclically above her. She stopped struggling, feeling a sudden thrill of excitement.

He had activated his bloodline trait in battle against her. Finally, she was enough of a threat.

**X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X**

_**The goddess so loved the god that time spent separated from him emotionally, spiritually, and physically enraged her. She pushed her body to ruin, caring not about the consequences. **_

Sometimes, Sakura considered the ramifications of setting Sasuke on fire.

Sure, she'd feel horrible. Maybe. His absence from her life would inevitably lead to depression and loneliness of the highest degree. No matter how quiet his company was, his presence was highly desirable to her.

Nevertheless, he was the most frustrating individual alive. Watching him go ablaze might be really satisfying! Not to mention, his behavior was beginning to make her wonder if he was bipolar.

First, he had to go and kiss her. Then, he had to go and ignore her. Now, he had developed an even more irritating manner of behavior. He tried to control her training schedule. If she worked at the hospital in the evening, she was not allowed to train into the wee hours of the morning that followed.

Not that he was willing to discuss his reasoning with her. Or talk to her at all. They rarely spoke, and if they did, there was an underlying animosity on both ends. He'd be standing outside her apartment when she went home to change. Then, he'd tell her to stay in. She'd say no. They'd battle to settle the deal.

He'd win by knocking her out, and she'd wake up two hours later on her couch.

She was definitely going to set him on fire. She was beyond pissed with her predicament. If she didn't know better, she'd be touched by the subtle gesture of care for her wellbeing. She _did_ know better, however. She knew he was being stubborn—the only reason he had given her for this rule had been completely ridiculous. He vaguely mentioned once that he didn't want to work with other people if she took sick leave. Heaven forbid. 

Who could really understand what went on in his mind? All she had determined was that a blazing inferno would help calm her rage toward him. Additionally, the irony of watching the infamous fire jutsu heir go ablaze could possibly make her chuckle with sadistic pleasure.

But, inevitably, she could not set Sasuke on fire. He'd probably have enough skill in bending the flame so that _she_ would end up being burned.

Then, Sakura considered the ramifications of setting herself on fire.

She sniffled, sneezing into her tissue.

Because, despite his overbearing gestures, two hours after she woke up, she'd go train alone. The action was against his wishes, but she didn't really give a damn anymore. In fact, she got a rush from spiting the controlling Uchiha. As long as he didn't wait around to enforce his new rule, she would do as she pleased. She couldn't stop if she wanted to anyway. She was so close to her goal. Less than three weeks ago, he had begun to actively use his Sharingan every time they battled. Surely, in the time that followed, she would finally win.

She coughed into her tissue, shivering from the ache that came with it.

_Of course, _he had to be right. She inevitably grew ill from exhaustion, complete with symptoms like a runny rose, raging cough, and spiking fever. In addition to these lovely symptoms, she received a long lecture from Tsunade on the dangers of overexertion.

A knock reverberated through her door. Then, a second. Then, a third.

"Sakura-chan! Sakura-chan!" Naruto called, his voice muffled by the door.

Placing her throbbing head into her hand, she grumbled something to herself about her horrid luck.

"Sakura-chan! Sakura-chan!" he continued to yell. "You aren't sleeping are you? Sakura-chan!"

She whimpered softly to herself before calling that he could come in. As much as she did not want to see a soul in her condition, she knew he would keep pounding on the door in concern if she did not answer.

He burst through her door, leaping over the couch and landing directly beside her.

"Hiya," he greeted with a mischievous, wide grin.

She heard the additional muted shuffle of another entering her apartment. Looking over her shoulder, she watched as Sasuke entered somewhat hesitantly. He closed the door behind him, but made no move toward her or Naruto.

"So, I was coming back from a late-night ramen snack," he began to babble. "And I happened to see Sasuke taking a walk! I was thinking it'd be extra fun to practice in the night. You in? Puhhhllleeeeeease, Sakura-chan?"

"I can't," she began to answer.

"Why not?" Naruto interrupted in frustration. "It'll be fun! Come on!"

Her eyebrows drew together, but before she could answer, a quiet voice rumbled from the corner.

"She's sick. Let her go to bed."

She felt his heavy gaze upon her—Sasuke's usual piercing analysis whenever he looked at her.

Naruto's expression faltered as he searched her face intently. The corners of his mouth turned down slightly in disappointment, but he gave a nod of affirmation. Before he could open his mouth to babble more, Sasuke interrupted him.

"Let's go," he ordered softly. Naruto gave a sigh and shook his head.

"Maybe next time, Sakura-chan?" he asked. She gave him a small smile and nodded. "Anything you need? I don't know how to make soup, but I'm sure Sasuke and I could figure it out."

She vaguely heard a scoff in the corner. Apparently, Sasuke wasn't pleased with the implication that he didn't know how to cook.

"Nah," she shook her head.

Despite herself, there was an intense twinge of jealousy within her. Training alone one on one into the night with Sasuke had been so _personal. _And now he was going with Naruto?

Didn't he interrogate her once about training alone with other partners? Wasn't he suspicious and jealous once over this same issue?

Her logical half knew that Sasuke was merely training with Naruto. The pair trained together almost every day. A good portion of the time, Sasuke would train alone with Naruto. This was nothing new, except for the time of day. However, her logical side wasn't speaking loud enough.

Her emotional side felt like she was being _cheated _on. She felt _betrayed._ She knew her feelings were particularly irrational, but she couldn't help herself. Despite Naruto being their best friend, she felt like the nighttime belonged solely to her and Sasuke. She kept their time together separated from the rest of the world…because it was too precious to share.

And here he was bringing someone new into it? She huffed in particular displeasure.

"Are you sure you don't need anything?" Naruto prodded, noticing her growing agitation.

"I'm sure," she answered him with a falsely pleasant tone. Her gaze flicked back to eye up Sasuke.

"Are you planning on doing this _every _night?" she snapped, hinting at her annoyance. Sasuke shook his head knowingly.

"Just tonight," he answered her lowly. With a particularly strong look, she understood that he had no intention of allowing Naruto into their nighttime world. Tonight was a onetime exception. She snapped her gaze away from him and settled it back on Naruto.

"Have fun," she ordered him, her tone still deceivingly pleasant. Naruto's eyes flicked from Sasuke to Sakura. He wondered briefly what had just transpired, but Sasuke's low rumble of a voice roused him from his thoughts.

"Let's go." He ushered Naruto out the door.

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_Thank you, Thank you, Thank you to everyone who reviewed the first two parts! ^_^ _

_And a very big thank you to Sakura's Indecision!_


	4. Chapter 4

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_**When the goddess was unaware, the god would protect her from harm. **_

Sakura reclined on her sofa, nursing her cold. She wasn't aware that she had fallen asleep after Naruto and Sasuke left to train. That is, until she awoke sometime later with a dry mouth and an even more severely sore head. Looking around her apartment, she wondered if she had turned off the lights before she fell asleep. A blanket fell from her as she sat up. Startled, she jumped.

She definitely didn't have a blanket before.

Trying not to feel violated by the mysterious presence of the blanket, she pulled it off and slowly rose. Her head spun and clenched in disapproval from her rising, but she set her mind to examine her apartment. The thought of someone coming and going without her knowledge disturbed her, though she knew it must have been with benign intent. She stumbled to the bathroom, eyeing it. Seeing nothing out of place, she made her way to the small kitchen. There, nothing lay amiss.

Her brows furrowed together in confusion. Maybe she had placed that blanket on herself after all?

Shaking her head, she opened the refrigerator for juice. Her busy schedule and current illness had prevented her from going shopping lately, but she hoped that she had at least _something_ to drink. Due to the scarce nature of her food supply, something new inside the refrigerator quickly caught her eye. Sitting alone was a container of what appeared to be soup.

Pulling the container out, she looked it over with wide-eyed surprise. On top lay a note with heating instructions. The handwriting was concise, clear, and extremely familiar.

Apparently, inspired by Naruto's suggestion, Sasuke had delivered homemade soup.

A shiver of delight passed through her as a small smile tickled her face. Her breath caught in her chest as her heart began to patter faster.

Despite what had recently transpired between them, Sakura couldn't help but feel that Sasuke's intentions came from a good place.

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Shortly after consuming a bowl of the absolutely _delicious_ soup—blushing when she thought of Sasuke making it _just for her_—she drifted back to her bedroom. Fuzzy from the kind gesture and groggy from her cold, she instantly fell into a comfortable position. When her thoughts dwelled on Sasuke, a sweet coating covered her awareness. For the first time in a long time, thoughts of him did not bring even a hint of anxiety—only pleasure and giddiness.

Whether or not Naruto had been involved in the cooking and delivery of the soup was irrelevant—the fact that he had prepared her a meal overwhelmed her. He must have eased himself into her house quietly, so as not to wake her. After he put her soup away, he must have looked for her. Checked up on her.

She tucked her knees close at the thought and nearly squealed to herself.

Then, he must have seen her sleeping on the couch and covered her with the blanket.

Her heart fluttered as she imagined him bent over her sleeping frame. How his hands would have been _so _close as he tucked the blanket over her. If only she had been awake!

Feeling soothed and cared for, her eyelids grew heavy. Despite her excitement and thrill from his kind gesture, she fell into a contented and deep sleep. She slept longer than she had in months. She didn't stir for hours. When her body finally felt refreshed, her eyes fluttered open slowly. Her cold was still thick and burdensome, but she managed to ease herself out of bed. Remembering her failure to clean up after her midnight snack, she prepared herself for the inevitable mess she had made in her absentminded glee.

Her jaw dropped ever so slightly when she entered the kitchen. Everything had been cleaned and organized with such precision. In addition to the flawless state of purity, there was a new bowl on her kitchen counter. Shyly, she padded her way to the bowl. Inside, there were several robust, rounded tomatoes. Her breath fluttering into a giggle, she picked one up. She squeezed the plump fruit in her hands as her heart raced.

_Sasuke's favorite. _

She looked around her kitchen, wondering if any other foods had made their way into her home. Continuing to lovingly squeeze the tomato in her hand, she opened her refrigerator. When she looked inside, her breath caught immediately and she swore her heart stopped.

It was filled to the brim with fresh groceries.

He must have checked in on her this morning while she slept, or maybe he noted the barren state of her kitchen last night. Either way, he noticed the lack of food. He went completely out of his way and purchased groceries for her.

A hot blush rushed across her face when she realized to what extent he'd taken care of her. Not only were there staple food items in her refrigerator, but they were food items s_he_ tended to favor. A wide smile possessed her before her jaw dropped.

He got her anko dumplings! He sought out and bought her one of her favorite foods. Not only that, but it was a food that made his nose scrunch up in distaste. He must have gone out of his way to be sure she would have what she wanted.

_Her favorite._

Her knees went weak with the gesture.

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Waiting to get better from an illness is horrendous, and Sakura felt this tenfold due to her naturally hectic schedule. A few days managed to crawl by as she lay around her apartment drinking various kinds of fruit juices and stretching. The only physical training she could manage for those few days were light yoga stretches.

She officially hated stretching now. It was boring, and not nearly enough action for her inner destructive self.

So, when an evening finally came where she didn't feel horrid, she nearly leaped through her apartment door. She intended to go on a light jog, but found herself itching for real physical action. When she flung open her front door and tried to rush outside, she crashed into a warm, solid wall which knocked the breath right out of her.

Before she could realize she had run into Sasuke head on, two hands firmly clasped her upper arms. He pulled her away, keeping her restrained. Temporarily, she was distracted by the firm grip of his hands on her arms. She knew he was trying to keep her put, but the feeling of his warm hands on her created a whisper of excitement. He was touching her, and not even attempting to withdraw.

"What the hell are you doing?" he interrogated.

"Training," she beamed. She really didn't mean to smile at him. He certainly didn't deserve a smile since he was holding her down, but her excitement to be free from her home filled her. Her exhilaration from his touch added an extra bounce of joy to her tone, along with the memory of his gestures of kindness while she was ill.

"No."

Her eyebrows immediately shot up. He met her gaze with a solid stare. Any warm, fuzzy feelings were put on hold for a moment.

"I'll do what I want." She tried to shake his grasp.

"What you want is stupid." He gripped her more firmly. "Last time I let you do as you pleased, you got sick."

A huff escaped her, despite her urge to stay aloof. She tapped her food in annoyance, considering her options.

Option number one, she could _argue_ with him. Result, he'd ignore her.

Option number two, she could _reason_ with him. Result, he'd ignore her.

Option number three, she could try to beat his face in. Result, he'd probably see it coming _and _he was already holding her still.

Frustrated, she let out a growl and stomped her foot.

"Look," she babbled in a heated flush. "Why are you here anyway?"

"Naruto and I suspected you'd continue this poor routine, despite the obvious need to give it up."

Her face continued to flush in an erratic medley of confusion, embarrassment, and rage. She figured that the pair must have devised some kind of meddlesome plan involving taking turns to make sure she didn't leave at night. Even more than their bothersome interference, she was enraged that they assumed they could control her so easily.

Now, she just really, really, _really_ wanted to hit something. Her hand curled into a fist.

"You two are assholes," she grumbled.

"Hn."

Their eyes met, and for the briefest of moments, she saw his face soften a little. His hold on her loosened somewhat, so that his touch was not forceful or dominant. His fingers loosened to a gentle hold on her. For a second, he almost looked a little concerned. But in the next breath, his stone mask slipped back into place…as always. However, his grip on her remained docile.

"Why?" he interrogated her suddenly. There was a loaded intensity to the question, but she wasn't certain what he was asking. Her eyebrows drew together as her eyes widened in confusion.

"Are you training for revenge?" he continued to pry, his grip slowly starting to restrain her again.

"What? No," she babbled, continually growing hotter. "Who would I want revenge on?"

"Me."

"I don't."

"Then why all this effort to improve battle techniques?"

"I…" Her mouth fell slightly ajar.

"Explain yourself," he demanded intently.

"I shouldn't have to! You don't understand anything anyway!" she argued.

He analyzed her with a glare, but his thoughts began to betray him as they ran wickedly through his mind. He found himself attracted to how redness glowed across her cheeks. How she huffed in a barely controlled anger and stomped her foot. How passionately her eyes burned into him.

How he secretly liked bossing her around for her own good—looking after her.

He tried to contain his thoughts, but no control was to be found.

He wondered what it would have been like if he hadn't rejected her. What it would have been like to continue his evening time alone with her. Maybe…if he didn't only spend time with her when they trained…if they were together in more _domestic_ situations…maybe...

Why had he stopped bonding with her again?

His lips set into a grimace.

She. Was. So. Annoying.

"I don't care what you do," he seethed before suddenly releasing her from his grasp. She blinked and in the next moment, he was gone.

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_**The other gods continued to beg for the god's attention. He was roused from his meditation, making him agitated. When they were not begging for his attention, the essence of the goddess would tickle at him and rouse him. When her essence wasn't awakening him, he awoke on his own. He could not detach or remain distant any longer. He approached her finally, asking what she desired from him. **_

As he stormed away from Sakura, he came to realize he was shaking. Not from the chill of nightfall, but from a fiery, confrontational rage. Her constant defiance made him insane.

He knew that _foolish _woman had run off into the night to train, despite his obvious disdain for her choice. Despite the fact that he had strictly told her _not_ to—but Sakura had a mind of her own. He knew she loved pleasing him, but that desire took second place to something burning inside of her. Whatever it was, he loathed anything that made her rebel against him—anything that placed them into conflict.

He could have wrestled her down to the ground right outside of her apartment. He could have forced her down, but he resisted controlling her so crudely. Now, as he shook with rage, he wished he had.

However, he knew the truth. He knew that some wicked, horrid, undesirable piece of him that was slowly consuming him wanted to pull her close. He knew the second he wrestled her down, he'd try to hold her in a different way. A troublesome way.

He liked her too much.

A growl erupted from his lips. His heart rate increased as he thought about holding her—it was pounding in his ears. How his fingers were so tight against her arms—how he could feel her pulse race in his grip.

He huffed heatedly, his fists clenching in his erratic fever of anger and longing. He knew where she was, and he was going to make her accountable for all the fiery torture he endured when he thought of her.

She would be in the spot—_their_ usual spot.

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As she trained, he approached her. His movements were rapid, uncontrolled—the person once in control, long gone. Instead, his muscles coiled in anticipation of a fight.

"Spar," he ordered, his tone deep and agitated.

She turned to face him. She blinked twice before a small, ironic smile broke across her face.

"Don't smile at me," he seethed.

She should have been intimidated, but excitement kept fluttering through her.

Tonight could be the night. Tonight she might win against him.

A certain aura surrounding her gave her the feeling that she _would _win. Tonight would be the night she proved herself equal in a rough, primal fashion.

"I don't want to spar all the time anymore," she answered, suddenly forceful. Her intentions began to gush from her, and she couldn't deny them any longer.

He raised a brow.

"Tonight's the last night," she affirmed. "I don't like the way we do things."

His gaze lowered, something of a glare, but not quite. He peered into her, trying to pry her intentions from her.

"So, let's make tonight special, since it's our last," she smiled, a hint of inappropriate teasing escaping her. "If I win tonight, you grant me a request."

His gaze intensified, but he said nothing—his stance pure stone.

He unsheathed his sword slowly, apparently willing to accept the terms. She noted he made no terms for his victory. Apparently, he wanted nothing from her.

The tactics of their battle fell into patterns and styles. First, their battle was distant. They kept their bodies far from each other, long range attacks falling into favor. Once all kunai were missing from their fingertips and he realized just how much she had mastered evasion, he charged closer.

With light, mysterious feet, she kept stepping from her bounds. When she charged at him with a chakra-filled punch, he evaded her. Her strike fell to the earth, but her body did not. Her hands caught her fall, and she flipped herself over. She eluded him again and again, landing on her feet each time.

With time, he managed to land a deep slice into the flesh of her abdomen. Blood gushed over her splayed fingers, seeping easily onto her clothes. This should have slowed her down. Instead, he watched as she stepped away from view.

By the time he found her, her fingers were glowing green. She was mending herself.

The tone became sadistically playful. He'd move rapidly, inflicting harm. He cringed time and time again, dreading the sight of her blood. He repressed his self-disgust, trying to rush the battle to its end. Once they were finished, he wouldn't have to look at her blood anymore. But she kept moving rapidly away, healing herself. No matter how many times he cut her, she'd mend herself back together. Her true advantage in battle was this technique. Speed, flexibility, strength… none of that mattered as long as she could maintain herself.

The tone between them changed. He activated his Sharingan, a clear advantage. A mantra continuously struck through her mind—she needed to focus. His blazing red eyes made her heart race. Whether this was from his blatant display that he was challenged or her own excitement from battle, she could not know. She needed to focus. They were less hesitant now. Focus!

Passion burned between the pair. Deflection of complex jutsu. Implementation of complex jutsu. They saw through each other's different deception techniques. They could only see the truth. Intricate battle tactics fell apart.

He had to admit, despite her assurances of victory over him, he didn't think she'd give it her all. He smiled bitterly. She was more than adept at hurting him. Maybe some part of her secretly liked to hurt him. The multiple bruises and cuts that currently peppered his skin supported his theory. Of course, her healing talent kept her from having a similar appearance. Only a few deep wounds marked her skin—the kind of injuries she could ignore as she pursued to defeat him.

Things turned raw the moment he tackled her to the ground. Her body slammed to the earth, dirt ingrained into her skin. He expected to pin her down, but her knee came up and forced itself into his stomach. He recoiled from her and she managed to edge slightly away. His fingers grabbed her shoulders, flipping her onto her stomach. Her hands braced her frame as he forced her face into the earth.

Vaguely, she realized he was straddling her backside.

"I've got you," he taunted. The sound was huskier than she had ever heard before. Her chest heaved and a fluttering sensation ran through her. The pit of her stomach grew warm as she instantly found stimulation in their position.

But she wasn't going to be held down. Her desire for him wasn't about to overwhelm her chance. She was so _close _to winning. A gasp of pain escaped her mouth. Tonight she would win. Commitment and strength rushed through her, numbing any pain or thoughts of submission.

Ignoring the sensation of his proximity, she was able to slightly edge out her hands which had been trapped under her stomach. Grunting from the pain in her wrists, she forced chakra through them. A burst of strength allowed her some leverage between him and the ground. She arched her foot from underneath him. She pushed a surge of chakra through the leg, allowing her to throw him off balance and flip him backward. Remembering her training with Ino, Sakura's legs raised into the air and her ankles locked around Sasuke's neck. With grace born of months of training, she flipped him into the air and slammed him onto the earth. Eager for the opportunity, she straddled him and punched his chest to guarantee submission from him.

He gave a grunt of pain, temporarily disoriented by the force of her attack and the graceful sight of her soaring through the air. While he was dazed, she straddled him and held him in place using the strength in her thighs. Her fingers reached for a nearby fallen kunai.

When he became aware seconds later, he felt the cold metal on his throat. His eyes flicked upward, meeting hers.

The sensation of victory tickled and shined in her viridian eyes, but a smile did not play on her face. Instead, she remained completely serious in expression. It seemed as if she was anticipating a surprise move on his part—as if the moment was too purely good to be true.

Her hair was mussed with grass and leaves. Her usually glowing, pinkened skin was smeared with sweat, dirt and dried blood. Despite her wild appearance, she managed to stop the breath inside of him.

"I've got you," she murmured softly, her voice vaguely reminding him of a flute. "I win."

There was no reality for the briefest of moments for Uchiha Sasuke. He was dazed and began to drown within himself. Her victory was not the source of the severe pausing of his world, but he couldn't place what was. It was as if reality was no longer harsh. No cruelty. No pain.

She blinked down at him, curious as to why he had not reacted or spoken.

"Are you okay?" she asked, leaning in closer. The kunai remained at his neck. As she leaned, her bangs fell forward. With her legs straddling his waist, he felt as if he was dominated by a lover and not an opponent. His lips twitched, remembering the sensation of her tongue against his mouth.

His fingers edged to the kunai. Slowly, he slipped the weapon from her hands. He threw the weapon, hearing a _thunk_ as it landed in a tree. He eased himself up, but did not push her off. Nor did she make a move to get off of him. As he sat up, she fell onto his lap. Her legs wrapped behind him.

Her breath hitched. He could see he was making her nervous, but her eyes did not waver from him.

_**The goddess left him no choice. He offered to grant her a boon. **_

"What do you want?" he asked, his tone still unfamiliarly husky. Excitement began to flutter through her body. He was so _close_. His hands were placed at the small of her back, supporting her. Dizzy and dazed with desire, she answered by pressing her forehead on his.

"I want to be close again," she whispered.

_**In this boon, she demanded that he no longer neglect her love and acknowledge the love he held for her.**_

He raised a brow at her. Answering him definitively, she pressed her lips lightly against his. Trembles of delicate pleasure spread between them with each slight movement of her lips in the light kiss…with each slight movement of his.

She pulled away slowly, her eyes half-lidded.

"No," he answered soundly. He roused slightly, preparing to stand. Before he rose, slender fingers curled around his neck.

"Why?" she asked. No anger or malice reflected in her tone. Instead, her voice held only curiosity. Her wide-open eyes kept him from pushing her away with hurtful words. Meeting her eyes, he became keenly aware of her thoughts…her feelings.

"I can't take care of you," he answered honestly. He tried to ignore warm heat gathering in his veins as her fingers began to stroke gently at his neck.

"I can take care of _you_," she countered, a hint of mischief escaping her. Dipping her head into his neck, she laid light kisses against his salty, sweaty skin.

"Don't you want to be together?" she murmured against his skin as she kissed under his ear.

"N-no," he stammered. Why was his heart beating so wildly? She giggled slightly at his neck, all too aware of his stammering. Agitation crept through him vaguely, but he struggled to focus on himself. Instead, he only managed to focus on her.

"Don't you _need_ to be together?" she asked, nibbling at his earlobe. "Because it's so unlike you to be defenseless."

She was right. She was on his lap, kissing him and he had done nothing to pull her off. Effectively, she'd managed to sneak past his guard. And _he_ had the nerve to scold _her_ for being unaware of what was going on around her.

She pulled away from him, her eyes blazing. So were his. His hands remained at her back, holding her in affection, even if he was unaware of it. She felt his fingers twitch ever so slightly as she held him with her eyes. Her strong, steady gaze pushed words from his lips, even if he didn't want them to escape. Sure, his thoughts were allowed to run rampant within him, but the fact that he formed sentences from his wild thoughts drove him mad.

"I refuse to share you," he murmured, his voice low but all too real. Unable to resist reaction, she pressed her forehead against his. One of his hands moved up her back to her shoulder.

"It's always been like that," she answered. He applied pressure to her shoulders, forcing her down into a kiss.

How he kissed so roughly when he initiated kisses!

"I don't care what you want from me," he murmured in hot confession against her skin. "I just want to be with you. I need you in my life."

His kissed her possessively. He pressed into her lips so soundly, eliciting a small gasp of surprise from her. Sasuke pushed his tongue through her lips, prying her mouth open so that he could kiss her more openly. As he pushed at her mouth, her arms instinctively wrapped around his shoulders—her grip tight, almost afraid that he'd slip away from her. He ravaged her mouth, enticing pants of pleasure from her and making her fingers curl.

His hands began to slip from her shoulders, wandering. He hungrily tore at her mouth, his hands instinctively moving and meeting at her waist. Too long had he denied himself her affection. Too long had he denied his desire for her affection. Giving in to her, he impatiently refused to wait to touch her again. He scolded himself—he was stupid to think he should stop touching her.

Stupid.

He had enough. He had limits. After too much time and too many pent up emotions, the want and raw need for her had gone far too neglected. Once he finally accepted his desire to be with her, he felt himself fall into a frenzy.

His fingers slid to her hips, forcing her to press closer into him. She obeyed, colliding against him delightfully.

She moaned softly against his mouth.

His hands began to wander north, sliding trickily under her shirt. His fingers edged upward, brushing across her toned form. She arched her back and pressed her flesh further into his calloused fingers. His rough fingers slid past her bra, fondling the warm, supple flesh beneath. He squeezed her, making her gasp away from his lips. Air wouldn't collect into her. Her reflexive breathing disobeyed her, so consumed her body was with lust and absorbing his every touch. His thumbs flicked across her and suddenly she was able to gasp in pleasure—she found herself able to maintain semi-functional breathing.

Her head fell backwards as he continued to tease her, making raw desire ache between her legs. As her head tilted backwards, she exposed her neck. Immediately, she was lost in sensations from his teasing fingers and mouth that played against her neck. He kissed her, his tongue occasionally flicking against the vulnerable skin. When he found a particular spot that made her throatily moan his name, he nibbled lightly.

He always knew if he started touching her, he wouldn't be able to stop.

One of his hands fell to his waist, the other remained cupping her. He began to lower his pants, before he was alerted by a gasp.

"Here?" she murmured, her hands burrowing into the dark strands of his hair. His eyes flicked upward at her, observing how flushed her cheeks were. Her lips looked puffy from his previously rough kisses. "Now?"

"Now," he grunted, roughly. A shiver trembled in the aching spot between her legs. He pulled her to his lips again, dissatisfied with the distance between them. He kissed her passionately again, her fingers curling and scratching lightly against his scalp in pleasure.

She had intended to seduce him a little, but she had not realized how she brought him to the point of no return.

Her fingers scratched from his scalp, down his neck, and down his back. Her hands met briefly, finding the hem of his shirt. Forcefully tugging, she pulled his shirt from his chest. Made eager by the sight of his bare chest, her mind whispered wicked ideas to her. How hot would it feel to press her bare chest against his?

Her fingers flung to her shirt and worked rapidly to remove all clothes from her upper half. Bare and exposed to the chilly night breeze, she shivered and pressed against him for warmth. A grunt escaped his lips from the sensation. Forgetting his previous attempt to remove his pants, his hand dipped into hers. He found the hem of her panties and lightly fingered a lace edge.

With the slightest tilt and bend of her head, they both leaned in for a kiss. Slow…sensual...agonizing. Nerve endings of pleasure vibrating in places neither knew were asleep.

His fingers dipped past her panties, edging between her legs. Her hips bucked against him instinctively. Despite the constraint of her panties on his hand, he managed to slowly rub her. Wet moisture began to coat his fingers. She whimpered against his lips repeatedly, her hips rubbing and hunting for friction.

"Feels so good," she purred against his lips. "I've always want you to do this."

How often had he imagined it himself? How many sleepless nights had he spent imagining her reaction? How she would feel under his fingers? His tongue? He remembered how he couldn't calm himself after their heated first kiss. How even thinking of their kiss would drive him into a frenzy.

She moaned as he continued to stroke her. She hated that she was wearing pants at that moment. Absolutely hated it.

Her hands moved to her hips, trying to slide her clothing off so his movements would no longer be restricted. He chuckled darkly at her desperate need to be touched more freely. His eyes explored her entire form—the curvature of her skin in the most delightful of places.

She pressed against his chest for warmth again, her skin puckering from the cold. He admired the sensation of her body pressed to his. As he continually teased her using his fingers, she began to kiss at the corner of his mouth. She edged herself, using light kisses across his cheeks, to his neck. Sucking on the flesh she found there, she began to groan again.

"Mmm…Sasuke-kun?" she nuzzled against his neck. "Did you ever think of me like this?"

"Every night," he croaked honestly. He felt her lips curve into a smile. Pulling away from his neck, she looked into his eyes.

"Can I touch you?" she asked, biting her lower lip.

Did she even have to ask?

Her hands made their way to his pants—her breath caught as she placed her palm over the fabric. A warm rush flooded through her as she felt him through his clothes. So hard…and pulsating. Feeling him, even with his clothing as a barrier, aroused her further—made her heart beat all the wilder. She squeezed him lightly, fulfillment and wonder glinting in her eyes.

To think he was so aroused by _her_. That he wanted her so desperately. That he wanted only her. That he needed her. That he trusted her

She leaned forward pressing a loving kiss against his lips, making him shiver from the sincerity of it. His hand withdrew from her, making her whimper in disappointment. Her displeasure was momentarily softened as she watched him remove his pants for her. She groaned in satisfaction, staring at his form.

Her eyes raked over his body slowly, admiring him. She didn't only gaze at him in admiration, but in pure, unfiltered affection. There he was, completely bare and honest before her. Her breath caught slightly in her chest as she stared at him. He was perfect, almost surreally so. His alabaster skin was peppered with old scars and fresh wounds; nevertheless, he was perfect. Her heart swelled as she pressed her skin against his. The warmth that was exchanged—so delightfully true and real.

He eased his hand into hers, pulling her hand to cover the length of him. Guiding her, he wrapped her fingers around him. The sensation of her touch felt so good—he felt his temperature rise as his head spun. Experimenting with different pressures, he groaned as she perfected touching him. Her fingers pumped him slowly, agonizingly, almost satisfying him, but also making his desire and need grow stronger. Throbbing with need, he found he could not function enough to even breathe right. Only gasps of air managed to reach him for moments.

"Like this?" she asked breathlessly. All he could do was open his mouth in a silent moan and nod.

So affecting it was to feel him against her fist. So heavy and hot. She longed to keep jolting pleasure through him, hearing him grunt in satisfaction from her movements, but she could hardly stand it. She was growing so restless with an intense desire.

"I need you, Sasuke-kun," she whimpered in craving. "I need you inside me."

Roughly he altered the angle of his hips, allowing her the opportunity to move atop him. Seeing him so willing, so needy in compliance, she let out a groan. She positioned herself above him, nervous, yet excited to be filled by him. His hands moved, one to her cheek, the other to her hip. Holding her hips in place, his thumb brushed against her cheek as he pulled her lips to his in a smooth, sensual kiss.

His hips bucked upward reflexively, plunging into her in one swift motion. She yelped in surprise against his mouth. She gasped, a mix of pleasure and pain—pleasure from the intimacy of his closeness, pain from being filled so suddenly and so completely.

He withdrew, plunging into her again. She gasped again, holding onto his shoulders for support. He moved roughly, hungrily…starved to death for her affection and touch. She moaned against his mouth, continually leaning in and demanding kisses from him. Her fingernails puncturing his skin whenever he bucked his hips caused him to drive in particularly deep.

How chaotically blissful it all felt. The angle he kept hitting her at, rubbing her all the right ways. Her body had adjusted to the size of him, allowing her to react in completely pure ecstasy from his intense actions. In her hazy, lustful state of mind, she moaned his name in a continuous mantra.

Her hips arched rhythmically, continuously meeting his. He felt like she was teasing him with her hips, purposely driving him mad.

"Sakura," he panted. His teeth nipped at her bottom lip, making her whimper.

He couldn't handle the pressure bubbling in him much longer—too much intensity. It felt so damn good. The tempo between them became crazed, uneven. They thrust harder…and harder. He watched, in the fervor of their lovemaking, the way her body moved—her breasts bouncing, her hair falling into her face. He tucked the sweaty locks back with his hand.

Her whimpers grew more and more intense. The calling of his name. Everything coiled within her, more than desperately ready to spring and fall apart. He was panting harder now. She knew his climax was rising. She knew he had to feel how tight she was growing—how all of her muscles clamped around him.

And even as she drew close, closer, closer…she observed how his face looked contorted in pleasure. His usual scowl softened into something somehow innocent, despite the sinful way he pumped his hips.

"Sakura," he panted again. His heavily lidded eyes looked into hers. His eyes turned red, the wheels of his Sharingan hypnotically spinning. So consumed and lost he was in passion—he couldn't control himself. Seeing him so vulnerable…so close to her…feeling him continually spike pleasure into her…

The coil within her sprang.

Her hips moved furiously, riding out her orgasm. Her lips trembled, trying to cry out for him.

"Sasu—Sasu—"

But it was too intense. Too much. Her body lost control so utterly and completely that words could not escape her. Her hands on his shoulders grasping, holding onto him. The vibrations of her gasps and struggles made him see white for a moment. A throaty cry wrenched from her lips.

Everything about her…the way she couldn't even cry out his name at her peak…how honestly and completely she lost herself to him. It was all too much.

And so very Sakura that he exploded. His eyes rolled back into his head, his jaw clenched as his body sprang apart in pure rapture. His groin clenched, his back arching. Violent spasms so intense racked his body. His hips slowed from the rough, vicious thrusts as he calmed.

His eyes fluttered open, meeting a pair of emerald. Immediately, instinctively, he pressed a warm kiss to her mouth. Sighing, she collapsed completely into his arms.

For a precious moment, all was still. He held her gently as his fingers softly touched and explored in affection—her smooth rounded cheeks, the column of her neck, her delicate ribcage…

She shivered against him. Apparently, that tickled. She mewled against his chest. Vaguely, he wondered if she was trying to form some words, but couldn't quite collect herself yet. He didn't speak, letting the moment lay still—watching her…

"Sasuke-kun?" she finally managed to purr against him. "Will you carry me home?"

He nodded, his mouth pressed against her forehead. He felt her smile against his skin, but he didn't move to gather them both up yet. He was too tired to even begin dressing.

"When we get home," she continued to murmur. "We'll shower."

After the battle and the sex, could he manage to even stand? Long enough to get her home _and _shower?

He knew he'd somehow manage to get it together.

"Then, when we go to bed," she continued to plan aloud. "I want to tell you this old folktale I heard a while ago. I think you'll like it."

He nodded at her, wondering why her mind moved in such mysterious ways.

_**And the goddess soothed the once enraged god. As she learned the way of the warrior, he learned the way of the householder. **_

_**Whenever the god was tempted into the dance of destruction, he would be calmed by the creative, nurturing steps of his wife. By making him attached to this world and whole, balance has been restored. **_

**X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X**

_A final thank you for __**Sakura's Indecision**__. ^_^ She's an amazing beta, as well as an amazing author. Be sure to read her stuff! _


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